Eau Claire, La Crosse health officials recommend wearing masks indoors

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – Health officials in Eau Claire and La Crosse counties recommend that everyone wear face masks indoors in public spaces, including those who are fully vaccinated.

The recommendations come after Tuesday’s revised guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined mask guidelines for areas in which community spread of COVID-19 has exceeded certain thresholds. The guidelines for masks in indoor public places apply in parts of the United States with at least 50 new cases per 100,000 people over the past week.

The CDC’s COVID Data Tracker website on Friday showed several counties in Wisconsin in the “substantial” category for community transmission of COVID-19. This includes Eau Claire County, as well as Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Taylor, Washburn and Wood counties in Wisconsin and Winona County in Minnesota. Additionally, counties with high transmission rates are also included in recommendations for indoor masks, and in western Wisconsin that includes Buffalo and Pepin counties.

The City and County of Eau Claire Health Department says the new mask directive for Eau Claire County is that anyone over the age of two wears a mask in indoor public places, even if they are has been vaccinated. The advice also recommends wearing masks for anyone who is in a K-12 school building. The City and County of Eau Claire Health Department also advises residents to get vaccinated if they are eligible.

“Many people have been vaccinated to protect themselves, their families and our community against the further spread of this virus,” said Lieske Giese, director of the City and County of Eau Claire Health Department. “Now we need to add another layer of prevention for everyone, and that’s the masks. “

In La Crosse County, the La Crosse County Health Department encourages its residents to wear masks indoors, even if they have been fully vaccinated. While La Crosse County has yet to surpass the CDC’s mark for recommending indoor masks, health officials note a growing number of confirmed cases likely caused by the delta variant of COVID-19 . The La Crosse County Health Department says they’re currently at 50 cases per 100,000 people on average over seven days to July 28, which is the mark the CDC has set to recommend wearing a mask. indoor.

“COVID-19 is still very present in our community, and we are seeing a worrying increase in cases,” said Audra Martine, director of the La Crosse County health department. “We therefore strongly recommend that anyone over the age of two wear a mask in indoor public spaces and at indoor private gatherings.”

Health officials from both counties say that even if the daily numbers fall below the 50 cases per 100,000 mark, as long as the trajectory of cases continues to rise, they will continue to recommend the CDC’s advice. The recommendations are not tied to any federal, state or local mandate.

To find out where you can get tested for COVID-19, you can visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website. If you need information on how to receive a vaccine, you can visit Vaccine.gov.

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