Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By ZACHARY MARANO
HANCOCK — An update from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department on Thursday said that there have been more than 200 new COVID-19 cases in Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties since Dec. 8.
There were 68 new COVID-19 cases in Gogebic County, 13 new cases in Ontonagon, 26 new cases in Baraga, 106 new cases in Houghton and three new cases in Keweenaw, for a total of 216 new cases in seven days. There were also three deaths in Gogebic, three deaths in Houghton, one death in Keweenaw and one death in Ontonagon, for a total of eight deaths in the week.
The COVID-19 case rater per 100,000 population is 429.7 in Gogebic County, 206.4 in Ontonagon, 299.2 in Baraga, 289.1 in Houghton and 136.5 in Keweenaw, for a total case rate of 310 in the area. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a case rate of 100 or more to be a high risk of transmission.
On Thursday, 4,361 patients with positive COVID-19 status were reported admitted in hospitals across Michigan and 69 adult patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Upper Peninsula. Twenty-six adult patients were occupying beds in the ICU with COVID-19 and seven of the patients in the ICU were on ventilators.
According to an update from Iron County Public Health on Thursday, there have been 35 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 19 probable cases since Dec. 1. There have been 1,028 total COVID-19 cases in Iron County with 66 having been hospitalized and 44 deaths. The total population who received their first dose of the vaccine is 61.8% and the total population who completed their series is 58.9%.
Iron County Public Health has two COVID-19 clinics scheduled for the rest of the year. The Pfizer vaccine for children and adults will be available at the clinic on 210 Fifth Ave. in Hurley on Dec. 20 and 28. A follow-up date for the Pfizer vaccine is scheduled for Jan. 4. They are also doing walk-in appointments for the remaining people who still need their vaccinations and have contacted the department.