Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
BAYFIELD, Wis. — Bayfield County had its first death related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic last week.
The Bayfield County Health Department announced Friday it confirmed the death of a county resident due to COVID-19 Friday.
The person was a 78-year-old who had been hospitalized for over three weeks and had not recently traveled in the community, according to the department.
It said the person had no known contact with a known positive COVID-19 case or traveled out of the area recently.
The department declined to disclose any additional information about the person, citing the family’s privacy.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that one of Bayfield County’s citizens has passed away from COVID-19. We extend our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and community,” Health Officer Sara Wartman said in a news release. “We are facing extraordinary circumstances and continue to urge everyone that this virus is real, it is deadly and we must continue to maintain social-distancing and adhere to the ‘Safer At Home’ Order. Together, we will overcome these challenges and difficult days.”
Department officials said it remains clear the virus is present in the community and likely being spread by those who don’t know they have it, which is why it is critical residents take social distancing seriously and obey Gov. Tony Evers’ Safer At Home order.
There have been three positive cases in Bayfield County, according to information on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ website.
As of Sunday, there were 4,346 confirmed cases and 220 deaths statewide, according to information on the DHS website. The data shows Iron County has had two positive cases, one death and 26 negative tests as of Sunday.
Iron County’s first case, which was the only death, was announced March 26. The second case was announced April 8.
In Michigan, Gogebic County has had four positive cases, eight pending tests and 77 negatives, according to the most recent testing data the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department released Friday.
Ontonagon County continues to have zero confirmed cases, 17 negatives and three pending tests, according to Friday’s data.
There are a total of six positives, 257 negatives and 33 pending tests in the five counties the Western U.P. Health Department serves, according to the data, with the two other positives located in Houghton County.
Michigan has had a total of 31,424 cases and 2,391 deaths as of Friday related to the virus, according to information on the state’s website.