Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Iron County, Wis., reports new case
By RICHARD JENKINS
HANCOCK — Ontonagon County has its first case of COVID-19, the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department announced over the weekend.
Department officials said they were notified of the positive test late Friday night and are investigating whether others have had close contact with the individual.
“We will be closely monitoring any individuals who may have had direct, personal contact with the identified case, such as household contacts,” the department’s health officer, Kate Beer, said in a release Saturday. “Please remember this is a time for us to support each other and work together to reduce any possible spread of illness in our community.”
Friday’s positive case means every county in the state of Michigan has had a confirmed case of coronavirus, according to Bridge Magazine.
As of Sunday, there have been a total of 33 positive cases in the five counties served by the health department, with one additional probable case in Houghton County. Gogebic County has had seven cases, Baraga County has had five, Houghton County has had 19 and Keweenaw County has had one.
Of these cases, 12 are listed as recovered as of Sunday, according to the health department.
Recovered cases are classified as lab-confirmed cases where the person is alive 30 days after the onset of symptoms.
The single death in the five counties remains Gogebic County’s first reported COVID-19 case, reported on March 26.
In Wisconsin, Iron County also reported a new case Saturday — bringing the county’s total to eight, with one recovered case and one death. The county’s lone fatality was the first case reported on March 26.
No information was released by the local health departments in either of the cases announced Saturday.
With no vaccine for COVID-19, health officials on both side of the Montreal River say prevention is the best way to stop the spread of the virus. They encouraged people to: wash their hands frequently, avoid close contact with sick people, wear a mask, stay home when sick and maintain six feet of distance with people who are not members of their immediate household.
