State orders high schools to return to remote learning

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Ironwood - Monday's return to in-person learning in several local school districts will be short-lived for some students as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's order closing high schools across the state is set to take effect Wednesday.

The state order, which was announced Sunday, targets indoor social gatherings and other group activities as state officials look to curb rapidly raising COVID-19 infection rates.

"In the spring, we listened to public health experts, stomped the curve, and saved thousands of lives together. Now, we must channel that same energy and join forces again to protect our families, frontline workers and small businesses," Whitmer said in a statement. "Right now, there are thousands of cases a day and hundreds of deaths a week in Michigan, and the number is growing. If we don't act now, thousands more will die, and our hospitals will continue to be overwhelmed. We can get through this together by listening to health experts once again and taking action right now to slow the spread of this deadly virus."

Several of the districts in the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District returned to in-person learning Monday after switching to remote learning on the advice of the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department as officials seek to reduce local COVID numbers.

Although the governor's order allows younger students to continue learning in-person, the order means high school students will switch back to remote learning Wednesday.

"We are asking Grades 9-12 Group A to attend on Monday. Grades 9-12 Group B will attend in Tuesday," the Ironwood Schools wrote in a post on its Facebook page. "This will give all high school students a chance to see their teachers face-to-face before the closure."

The district's younger students will continue their schedules as planned, according to the Facebook post. The start of the district's winter athletic season is also postponed due to the announcement.

The state has seen fewer outbreaks linked to elementary and middle schools and those students are determined to be most in need of in-person instruction, according to the state's announcement, which is why the order to return to remote learning is limited to high school students.

As of Saturday, Gogebic County has had 468 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 173 additional probable cases and 19 deaths over the course of the pandemic, according to information on the state's coronavirus website.

The county's numbers include a total of 18 resident cases, one resident death and 20 staff cases at Gogebic Medical Care Facility; as well as 55 resident cases, 10 resident deaths and 28 staff cases at Westgate Nursing and Rehab Community.

Ontonagon County has had 211 confirmed cases, 26 probables and six deaths related to the virus, according to the state website. These numbers include 59 resident cases, two resident deaths and 26 staff cases at Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital LTC.

In Wisconsin, Iron County health officials said the county has had 289 residents test positive for COVID-19, as of Friday, with 51 additional probables. Of those numbers, the department considered 233 recovered. The county has had 17 cases require hospitalization and seven deaths.

Health department officials warned that the number of local COVID cases is straining the health resources available in the region.

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.

"In the past week, three of our seven staff members have had parents who required hospitalization for non-COVID health issues, and all three family members had to be transferred out of Aspirus Ironwood after remaining in the emergency room for 10 to 15 hours because no local hospital beds were available," a department spokesperson said Friday.