TCHD recommends masks as COVID-19 spike continues

As COVID-19 cases are back on the rise, the Trempealeau County Health Department has recommended that area residents wear face coverings indoors.

That recommendation came last Wednesday after the county saw 17 new cases in a three-day span, according to daily reports from the health department. The department issued a release early Wednesday afternoon that said “it is highly recommended that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask indoors in public.” 

The rise continued through last week as there were 16 new cases reported last Friday. Two of the people who tested positive were hospitalized as of late last week, according to the health department. 

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reports 80 new cases in Trempealeau County since July 15, including 36 last week. 

“Wearing a mask helps your loved ones, community members, and yourself stay safe and healthy,” the release issued by the health department said. “With the more contagious Delta variant being the dominant virus strain in Wisconsin, unvaccinated individuals are at the highest risk of getting seriously sick or dying, and the most likely to spread the virus to others. Wearing a mask properly when cases are high will help limit the strain on local hospital and public health systems.”