COVID-19 community levels increase in Gogebic, Ontonagon

HANCOCK — New COVID-19 cases in the western Upper Peninsula continued to rise over the past seven days as Gogebic and Ontonagon counties moved from low to medium COVID-19 community levels, according to an update from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department on Thursday.

From May 11-18, there were 60 new cases in Houghton County, 32 cases in Gogebic, 12 cases in Baraga, nine cases in Keweenaw and seven cases in Ontonagon, for a total of 120 new cases. This marked the fifth consecutive week that the case rate increased, the health department briefing says, but fortunately there were no new deaths.

This brought the COVID-19 case rate per 100,000 people in the past seven days to 202.2 in Gogebic County. By Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measurements, a case rate of 200 or more is classified as a medium community level. The total case rate per 100,000 population for the western U.P. was 172.2 as of Wednesday.

Ontonagon County only had a case rate of 111.1 per 100,000 population, but a medium community level can also be determined by a seven-day total of more than 10 new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population or a seven-day average of more than 10% of staffed inpatient beds being occupied by COVID-19 patients. The health department did not say which metrics caused Ontonagon to be reclassified.

The CDC recommends additional precautions for high-risk individuals at medium and high COVID-19 community levels and wearing a mask indoors at high levels. The CDC also says that people should stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if they have symptoms at all levels, including low.

The health department in Iron County, Wisconsin reported 10 new confirmed COVID-19 cases since May 5 on Friday. As of May 12, Iron County had a medium COVID-19 community level. According to the CDC website, however, the community level was back to low as of Thursday.