NOTE: There are TWO local testing events coming up in our area next week in GAYS MILLS and VIROQUA:

• Gays Mills Community Center, 16381 Highway 131, Nov. 10, 12-6 p.m.
• Vernon County Highway Department, 602 N. Main St., Viroqua, Nov. 12 and Dec. 10, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

TESTING IS OPEN TO EVERYONE - WHETHER YOU HAVE COVID-19 SYMPTOMS OR NOT.

YOU CAN PRE-REGISTER AT: 

https://register.covidconnect.wi.gov/en-US/

DRIFTLESS - Over the past week COVID-19, diagnoses statewide increased from 201,049 on Monday, Oct. 26 to 232,296 on Monday, Nov. 2. That is a statewide increase of 31,247 cases. The number of deaths increased from 1,788 to 2,050, an additional 262 deaths, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

According to the Tuesday, Nov. 3 issue of Up North News, The Department of Health Services announced 3,433 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, 3,493 on Sunday, and a record-setting 5,278 new cases on Saturday.

There were 78 coronavirus-related deaths over the three-day period, raising the pandemic's Wisconsin death toll to 2,050.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported another new record number of COVID-19 patients needing hospitalization, 1,648, with a record 352 of them in intensive care units. And another record high was set for the total number of Wisconsin patients on ventilators (527).

Crawford Countysaw 85 new cases, increasing to 409. The number of deaths in the county remains at one.

Upcoming COVID-19 testing events in the county will be held as follows:

Gays Mills Community Center, 16381 Highway 131, Nov. 10, 12-6 p.m.

Hoffman Hall, 1600 S. Wacouta Ave., Prairie du Chien, Dec. 1, 12-6 p.m.

Crawford County, which conducted 234 tests in the past week, increased 24.15 percent, from 323 Oct. 26 to 401 Monday — 7.11 percent of tests since the pandemic began and 33.33 percent of tests in the past week — with seven probable cases and 5,083 negative tests, according to DHS.

According to DHS, public health investigations are taking place at Prairie Maison in in Prairie du Chien, five workplaces, three educational facilities, one group housing facility, one health care facility, one long-term-care facility and four “other” facilities in Crawford County.

On Thursday, Oct. 29, the Crawford County Public Health Department announced they are discontinuing public notices about community exposures to COVID-19. All residents should assume risk of exposure when gathering in groups of people. If residents choose to attend a mass gathering, they should monitor for symptoms for 14 days after the gathering. If symptoms appear, they are urged to get a test. The increase in positive cases has limited the effectiveness of contact tracing by the department – it is important that if you are a close contact to a positive case, you limit your contact with others for 14 days.

The Crawford County Public Health Department will be holding COVID-19 testing events twice a week beginning on September 14, 2020.  Testing will be Mondays, 11 a.m. – 12 noon and Fridays, 9-10 a.m. at the Crawford County Administration Building parking lot, 225 N. Beaumont Rd. Prairie du Chien, WI 53821. All tests must be scheduled in advance.  Call the Crawford County Public Health Department at 608-326-0229 to schedule an appointment.  There is no cost to participate.

Vernon Countysaw an increase of 71 cases in the last week, increasing to 556. The number deaths remains at three.

Upcoming COVID-19 testing events in the county will be held as follows:

Vernon County Highway Department, 602 N. Main St., Viroqua, Nov. 12 and Dec. 10, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Richland Countysaw an increase of 70 cases, increasing to 519. The number of deaths in the county increased by three to 11.

Upcoming COVID-19 testing events in the county will be held as follows:

Richland County Fairgrounds, 23630 County AA, Richland Center, Mondays 9 a.m.–1 p.m. and Thursdays 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Richland County, which conducted 215 tests in the past week, increased 15.59 percent, from 449 Oct. 26 to 519 Monday — 6.90 percent of tests since the pandemic began and 32.56 percent of tests in the past week — with 16 probable cases and 7,001 negative tests, according to DHS.

According to DHS, public health investigations are taking place at Pine Valley Community Village in Richland Center, six workplaces, three long-term-care facilities, two health care facilities and one group housing facility and two long-term-care facilities in Richland County.

Monroe Countysaw an increase of 222 cases in the last week, going from 1,135 to 1,357. The number of deaths in the county increased by one to 10.

Juneau Countysaw an increase in cases of 123, growing to 894. The number of deaths in the county remained at five. 

On Friday, Oct. 30, Juneau Public Health Department announced that all Juneau County buildings will be closed to the public effective Monday, Nov. 2. This move is being made, according to the release, “to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

On Monday, Nov. 2, Juneau County Corporation Counsel David Lesker put of the following public notice: As Juneau County Corporation Counsel, I am making this statement to directly address the misinformation and extreme overreaction that is circulating publicly about a proclamation that is on the agenda of the County Board on Tuesday morning. The rumor is that the proposed proclamation is a heavy-handed move by the Juneau County Health Department “to try to shut down Juneau County.” That assertion is completely false and very highly misleading. The proclamation has nothing to do with “shutting down the county,” and it should not be viewed with alarm or mistrust by citizens. The proclamation is simply for the purpose of declaring that a public health emergency exists in Juneau County at this time. It complies with the state law that provides for making such a declaration. Adoption of the resolution will do nothing more than allow the Health Department to respond more quickly and more effectively in helping all of us get a handle on this threat to public health and safety. It does not expand the power or authority of the Health Department in any way. It is state law that gives the Health Department the authority it already has, under statutes that have been on the books for decades. The proclamation cannot expand the power of the Health Department. And, I want to assure you that no one in Juneau County government is thinking about or talking about shutting down our precious economy. We are all in this together.

LaCrosse Countyhas continued to see an exponential increase in new cases in the last week of 532, going from 4,103 to 4,635. The number of deaths increased by two to 23.

According to the Wednesday, Oct. 28, Coulee COVID Update, demographics of recent cases continue to show increases in varying age groups connected to social gatherings with non-household family members and friends. The average age of new cases has risen from 23.7 years to 40.6 years with increasing numbers of people hospitalized between ages 30 and 60. The average age of hospitalized patients has gone down. Currently, 41.7 percent of hospitalized patients are age 40-59. The number of new cases in this age group means additional hospitalizations in upcoming weeks are likely.

According to the Monday, Nov. 2, story in the LaCrosse Tribune, La Crosse County recorded 27 new confirmed COVID-19 cases with a 22.31 percent positivity rate Monday, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

The county has averaged 76 new cases per day over the past seven days, up from 75 on Sunday and 40.86 a week ago. Monday also marked the 15th day in a row with a daily positivity rate above 10 percent, including above 20 percent on eight of the past nine days.

Of Monday's cases, nine were people in their 20s. There was one new case of people ages 0-9, one of people ages 10-19, three in their 30s, three in their 40s, four in their 50s, four in their 60s and two in their 80s.

Grant Countyhas seen an increase of 317 cases in the last week, going from 1,836 to 2,153. The number of deaths in the county increased by eight to 38.

Lafayette Countyhas seen an increase of 85 cases in the last week, increasing to 614. The number of deaths in the county remains at one.