The CDC has moved Eau Claire County from a “medium” to a “high” COVID-19 level.
Residents are urged to take precautions against spread, including wearing masks in public indoor settings.
To read more, click on the headline.
Community Supported Journalism
By Ta’Leah Van Sistine, community reporter/editor
In September last year, there were 247 COVID-19 cases in Chippewa County. So far this month, the county’s Department of Public Health has documented 798 cases, including 537 adults – with the end of September still a week away.
Angela Weideman, the health department’s director/health officer, said at a virtual press conference Thursday that this month-to-month comparison proves there has been a “drastic” increase in COVID-19 cases across all age groups, compared to a year ago.
Chippewa County remains at a severe risk level with 10 residents currently hospitalized as of Thursday, and another COVID-19 death reported in the past week.
To read more on this situation and for a link to information about various COVID regulations in the Chippewa Falls schools, please click on the headline.
By Ta’Leah Van Sistine, community reporter/editor
Flu season is fast approaching and Prevea Health, HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals are encouraging everyone to get their flu shot as soon as possible.
A recent press release from the trio stressed that vaccination against the flu is crucial, especially amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and spread of the delta variant which have contributed to a decrease in available hospital beds.
Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health. said getting vaccinated for both COVID-19 and the flu is one of the most important steps people can take for their own health, the health of their loved ones and the health of their community.
“Just as vaccination is the most effective tool in preventing the spread of COVID-19, it is the most effective tool in preventing the spread of flu,” Rai said.
To read more, please click on the headline.
By Ta’Leah Van Sistine, community reporter/editor
It’s been almost four months since the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library reopened at its temporary location, not far from Festival Foods and Savers.
At 2725 Mall Drive, the library currently resides in a much smaller space, compared to the original location, and it also has a portion of its collection in storage at a nearby facility. Isa Small, the library’s manager for programming and communications services, said the size decrease has indeed affected what can be offered.
To read more, click on the headline.
By Katherine Schneider, for the CVPost
In this space, since early in the pandemic, Kathie Schneider has offered heart, hope and occasional bits of humor. These columns began on a weekly basis and will now be posted periodically as we head for whatever the “new normal” will be.
Kathie writes from the perspective of a retired Chippewa Valley clinical psychologist, blind from birth. She will continue to deal with some aspects of the coronavirus pandemic but some of her columns will now focus on broader topics.
In this column, Kathie raises some questions to consider in dealing with people who – for whatever reason – aren’t leaving all aspects of tbe COVID-19 isolation behind as quickly as you are. She strongly recommends the need for empathy in relating to those folks.
To read about her thoughts on this topic, please click on the headline.