Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
HANCOCK — The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department confirmed Saturday that a third person in the region has died of complications surrounding COVID-19, as Baraga County had its first death tied to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Our heartfelt sympathies and prayers go out to the family and community who has lost their loved one,” WUPHD health officer Kate Beer said in a statement. “This is a sad reminder of the danger that COVID-19 continues to impose on our friends and families. We must be more vigilant in our prevention efforts, especially for the safety of our elderly and vulnerable populations.”
The person who died was an elderly person who was a patient at an Upper Peninsula hospital when they died.
Prior to this weekend’s announcements, Gogebic and Houghton counties were the only two counties in the five counties the WUPHD serves that have had a death connected to the pandemic.
Beer said the department continues to remind people to avoid close contact with those outside their households as people don’t need to be experiencing symptoms to spread the virus. People can wear masks, practice social distancing and wash their hands as ways to protect themselves and their loved ones.
As of Saturday’s update, Michigan’s coronavirus website reported Gogebic County had a total of 147 positive cases and 13 probables since the virus was first detected in the county in late March. Ontonagon County has had a total 41 positive cases and one probable through Saturday, Baraga has had 20 positive cases and 10 probables, Houghton County has had 395 confirmed positives and 80 probables and Keweenaw County has had eight positives and two additional probables.
