COVID variant found in Houghton County

By RICHARD JENKINS

rjenkins@yourdailyglobe.com

HANCOCK — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has identified a variant of COVID-19 that is thought to have emerged in the United Kingdom in five Houghton County cases, the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department announced Monday.

“When a variant is identified or suspected, additional measures take place, such as a strict 14-day quarantine,” WUPHD Health Officer Kate Beer said in the announcement. “A new variant in our community is concerning since it can be related to higher transmission rates. Residents across the jurisdiction are reminded to continue practicing mitigation strategies including mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing and getting a vaccine as soon as it is available to you. These actions help slow the spread of the virus.”

The B.1.1.7 variant of the virus is approximately 50% more transmissible, according to the WUPHD, leading to faster spread and potentially increasing the numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

The higher transmission rate of the variant makes the vaccination effort more important than ever, health officials said, with vaccines now open to anyone over the age of 16 in both Michigan and Wisconsin.

As of Monday, 35.5% of the 54,873 adults over the age of 16 in the five-county area the WUPHD serves have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 24.0% have received both doses.

Thirty-nine percent of Gogebic County adults have received at least their first vaccine dose, with 26.2% receiving both doses. This includes 51.7% of the county’s population over the age of 49 that have received at least one dose and 36.1% of Gogebic County residents over the age of 49 that are completely vaccinated.

The county was responsible for 11 of the five-county region’s 38 active cases, according to Monday’s update. There have been a total of 1,331 positive and probable cases in Gogebic County over the course of the pandemic, including 50 deaths.

In Ontonagon County, 45.8% of adults over the age of 16 have received at least one dose, with 30.7% being fully vaccinated. Monday’s update shows 55.5% of Ontonagon residents over the age of 49 have received at least one dose, while 37.1% are fully vaccinated.

Ontonagon County had a total of 432 positive and probable cases over the course of the pandemic, including 13 deaths and one active case Monday.

There were also one active case in Baraga County and 25 cases in Houghton County, according to Monday’s update, with no active cases reported in Keweenaw County.

In Wisconsin, state data shows 40.7% of Iron County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Tuesday and 31.5% of county residents have completed their vaccine series.

As of Monday, Iron County has had 569 confirmed cases and 117 additional probable cases over the course of the pandemic, according to state data, including 40 deaths. As of Thursday, the Iron County Health Department reported nine active cases in the county.

A total of 33.4% of Wisconsinites have received at least their first vaccine, according to data on the state’s website Tuesday, with 20.4% of the state having completed their vaccine series.

More than 35% of Michigan’s roughly 8.1 million residents had received at least one shot as of last week, The Associated Press reported Monday, as the state works towards its goal of inoculating 70% of Michiganders over the age of 16 by the end of the year.

Health officials continue to remind people to take steps to prevent the spread of the virus, such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing.