An outlier among most Pierce County townships (where COVID19 deaths in 2020 were between zero to four and thus not officially posted online), the town of Ellsworth—not to be confused with the Village—saw five deaths, just above the threshold for official re­porting status on the state health department website. With one year officially behind us as far as COVID-19 is concerned, the numbers for Pierce County and the immediate area are posted at the state health department website at dhs.wisconsin.gov. Regarding the local area, town, village and city numbers, are as follows.

In the City of Durand (Pepin County) located just east of Plum City on Highway 10, there were a total of 205 positive tests for COVID-19 against 731 negative test results, with seven new tests in the past week of which two were positive and five negative. All told, the Dunn County capital with a total population of 1,787 saw thirteen hospitalizations for COVID-19, 159 hospitalizations for non-COVID related matters, and 33 of unknown relationship to the virus. In addition, there were between zero to four deaths in Durand for COVID, the exact number being filled with a placeholder at the state health department website. So what of elsewhere?

Shifting back west to Prescott, there were a total of 282 positive tests for COVID-19 in the one-time capital of Pierce County (before Ellsworth was given that honor), with an additional 1,346 negative tests for the virus. For new tests over the week prior to New Years all four were negative, with eleven hospitalizations over the past year from Prescott related to COVID-19, 206 not related and 65 of unknown relationship. All told, the community with a population of 4,235 at the state health department website saw between zero to four deaths from the virus, the exact number not being posted. Next up: River Falls!

Heading north on Highway 35, the City on the Kinne with a listed population of 15,467 at the state health website saw a total of 1,044 tests come back positive for coronavirus, while an additional 5,286 came back negative. With nine new tests in the week preceding January 1, seven came back positive and two negative, with 14 deaths total tied to the virus in 2020. In addition, River Falls saw 39 COVID-19 related hospitalizations, 684 not related to COVID, and 321 of unknown relationship. Following upon River Falls we head down Highway 65 to Ellsworth.

Down at the center of Pierce County, the village and county seat with a total listed population of 3,257 per the state health department site saw five deaths officially tied to COVID in 2020, with tests coming back as 265 positive and 1,374 negative. Of new tests in the week preceding New Year’s, all three came back negative, with nine hospitalizations tied to COVID in 2020, 153 not tied to COVID, and 103 of unknown relationship. Heading down Highway 63 south we come to the Village of Bay City, which saw 36 tests come back positive for COVID-19 over 2020, and an additional 185 come back negative. With zero new test results to tally in the week prior to January 1, Bay City saw zero to four hospitalizations for COVID-19 in 2020, 19 not related to COVID, and 17 of unknown relationship, with zero to four deaths from the virus, the exact number not forthcoming at the state website.

Moving east to the Village of Maiden Rock, meanwhile, there were nine positive tests for COVID-19 and 57 negative in 2020, with zero new test results to report in the week preceding New Year’s. With a total listed population of 95, there were zero to four hospitalizations related to COVID for Maiden Rock in 2020, while there were five not related and between zero to four of unknown relationship, with a like number of deaths.

Moving south and east to the Village of Stockholm just outside the Pierce County border on Highway 35, the village with an official population of 88 on the state health website saw positive tests too small to tally (between zero to four) and 12 negative test results all other data being two small to report officially. The Town of Stockholm surrounding the Pepin County village, meanwhile, saw 11 positive results and 95 negatives for COVID19, with between zero to four deaths.

Shifting back north and west to Plum City in eastern Pierce County, meanwhile, there were 94 positive test results for COVID-19 and 328 negative results. The sevenday positivity rate for Plum City as of January 1 (the number being a rolling average) stood at 0.29, the same as the seven-day average for negative results. All told, the village with an official listed population on the state health department website of 552 saw 75 hospitalizations not related to COVID with 16 of unknown relationship. But while the numbers may be looking good at a superficial level, continued vigilance is needed to drive the rate to zero, as rollout continues for the vaccine.