Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department and Iron County Health Department released the latest updates of local COVID-19 cases Thursday as health officials continue to battle the ongoing coronavirus pandemic; and although the numbers continue to rise, Thursday didn’t show as large of a jump as the region has seen in the past.
Gogebic County had a total of 656 positive cases and 271 additional probables over the course of the pandemic, including 24 deaths and 69 active cases as of Thursday. This is up from the 567 confirmed cases and 203 probable cases the state of Michigan reported at the end of November. At that time, the state listed 23 deaths in the county.
Ontonagon County has had a total of 269 positives, 27 additional probables, according to the WUPHD’s Thursday update, including 14 deaths and six active cases. At the end of November, state data showed 249 confirmed cases, 26 probables and 14 deaths in Ontonagon County.
The total in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties are part of the 2,882, positive cases, 782 probables, 81 deaths and 271 active cases in the five-county region of Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties the health department serves.
In Wisconsin, Iron County has had 393 residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 77 probables Thursday, with 403 of the county’s cases considered recovered. This total includes the 24 cases that have required hospitalization and 16 deaths.
Data from the state of Wisconsin showed Iron County had a total of 351 confirmed cases, 62 additional probables and 13 deaths at the end of November.
The Iron County Health Department reported they are getting the results of the 140 COVID-19 tests administered at the Tuesday testing event at the Hurley Fire Department. They ask people to answer their phones as health department staff are contacting all positive cases.
Health officials in both states continue to urge residents to wear masks, practice social distancing, stay home as much as possible and frequently wash their hands as these remain the best ways to prevent the spread of the virus.
