Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
HANCOCK -- Gogebic County has over 100 active cases of COVID-19, according to the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department -- a stark contrast from the single-digit case numbers reported less than one month ago. The health department is also reporting a second fatality in the county.
Gogebic County has had a total of 218 positive cases and 84 probables as of Tuesday, according to information on the WUPHD’s website. That includes 108 active cases and 157 recovered cases, the two fatalities and 35 people who have been released from isolation or quarantine but haven’t hit the 30-day mark to be considered recovered.
No information was released on the second death as of Wednesday morning. Gogebic County’s first fatality was the first case in the county, which was announced in March.
On Sept. 21, the health department reported three of Gogebic County’s 143 positives and 12 probables were considered active. That number increased to double digits by the beginning of October, with the department reporting 13 active cases in the county. However, the number of active cases in Gogebic County jumped from 22 in the Oct. 12 update to 48 on Oct. 15 before hitting 100 active cases Monday
Ontonagon County has had 68 positives and five probables through Tuesday, according to the site, with 19 active cases, 42 recoveries and 12 people between the quarantine and recovered stages.
The five-county region of Gogebic, Ontonagon, Baraga, Houghton and Keweenaw counties that the health department serves has had a total of 1,075 positive cases and 251 probables. The region had 235 active cases, 13 deaths and 620 recoveries.
In Wisconsin, the Iron County Health Department reported Tuesday there have been 170 residents who have confirmed to have had the virus, with 19 additional probable cases.
Of those 189 cases, 153 are considered recovered.
Nine cases have required hospitalization and Iron County’s only death was its first case announced in late March.
Health officials in both states continue to encourage residents to wear a mask, practice social distancing, stay home when possible and frequently wash their hands.
