New COVID cases top 100 last week

For the first time in 2021, there were more than 100 new COVID-19 cases in Trempealeau County last week.

That is according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, which reported 112 new cases this week, 15 more than the previous week.

The Trempealeau County Health Department reported an increase in cases amongst school-aged (five-to-19) county residents from 18 two weeks ago to 31 last week. Of the five school districts in the Times coverage area, the most new cases were reported amongst residents of the Arcadia School District with 24, followed by Blair-Taylor, 23; Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, 20; Whitehall, nine and Independence, one. 

While Independence is the only district that mandates face coverings for students and staff, health officials said it is too soon to tell if that is the reason why there were so few cases in that district compared to its neighbors. 

Of the new cases, 24 had Arcadia zip codes followed by 17 in Blair, 15 in Galesville, 10 in Eleva, nine in Osseo, seven in Whitehall, five in Strum and Ettrick and four in Trempealeau.

While the case totals have increased from earlier in the summer, the 180 cases reported in August of this year was still 34 fewer than were reported August 2020.