COVID numbers plummet in Oconto County

Mitigation efforts are still vitally important, Oconto Falls school officials say
By: 
Warren Bluhm
Oconto County Times Herald Editor

Oconto County has seen a dramatic decline in local COVID-19 activity in the past month or so, Oconto Falls School District Superintendent Dean Hess told the school board March 8.

Metrics such as the number of cases per 100,000 and new cases have plunged since the peaks of last fall, Hess said.

“In each one of these areas that in months past we were seeing data that had us in the highest risk, or in some cases two or three times the level of the highest risk, we’re now seeing numbers that put us anywhere from low to moderate,” he said.

The school district, which all along has experienced generally lower numbers than the community at large, is also seeing the a sharp decline, he said.

“Right now, we’re experiencing numbers that are lower than we’ve seen since September when we first came back to school,” Hess said. “We are very optimistic that we can maintain (that level); I guess we’ll see over time.”

Regarding staff vaccinations, Hess said that of 247 faculty and staff who had responded, 78 had already received their first dose by the time the board met. Of the others, the district was coordinating with Bellin Health Oconto for them to receive their first dose of the Moderna Inc. COVID vaccine on Friday, March 19, with the second shot scheduled for April 16.

Jan Stranz, the board vice president, applauded the district’s ongoing mitigation efforts, citing national-level speculation that a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases is still a concern.

“The social distancing, the hand washing, the face coverings are all choices that we’ll continue to implement,” Hess said.

Administrators have asked the state Division of Health Services and Oconto County Public Health how the distribution of the vaccines will change the recommendations regarding mitigation.

“As of right now, they’re saying that people should wrap their minds around continuing to do the mitigation efforts into the fall, because it’s going to take a while to know how this is going to roll out,” Hess said. “Hopefully we can sustain this, but in the meantime we have to stay the course.”