Gogebic County has 'high' COVID-19 level

By ZACHARY MARANO

zmarano@yourdailyglobe.com

HANCOCK — Because of an increase in COVID-19 cases in the county, Gogebic County was reclassified as a “high” level of community spread in the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department’s weekly update on Saturday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all people take additional precautions at high community levels. These include wearing a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status.

At medium and high community levels, the CDC recommends that immunocompromised and high-risk individuals wear a mask or respirator that provides greater protection, consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public, have a plan for rapid testing if needed and talk with their healthcare providers about other precautions and treatments.

For people who have contact with high-risk individuals, the CDC says to consider self-testing to detect infection before contact and consider wearing a mask when indoors with them.

The CDC also says to stay up to date with vaccines and boosters, maintain improved ventilation throughout indoor spaces if possible and follow recommendations for isolation and quarantine at all levels, including low.

Elsewhere in the western U.P., Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties have medium COVID-19 community levels and Baraga County has a low level.

The WUPHD update says that there were 171 new COVID-19 cases and one death in the past seven days. These included 78 new cases in Houghton County, 56 new cases in Gogebic, 21 in Baraga, eight in Keweenaw and eight in Ontonagon. The one death occurred in Houghton County.

As of Saturday, the case rates per 100,000 population were 241.7 in Baraga County, 353.9 in Gogebic, 212.8 in Houghton, 364 in Keweenaw and 127 in Ontonagon, for a total case rate of 245.4 per 100,000 people.

According to the WUPHD’s overall vaccine statistics, 50% of people in Baraga County, 58% of people in Gogebic, 54% of people in Houghton, 63% of people in Keweenaw and 66% of people in Ontonagon have received the initial vaccine. The COVID-19 dashboard on michigan.gov says that 68% of Michigan residents have received the first dose of the vaccine as of July 19.

The Iron County, Wisconsin health department posted a COVID-19 data summary on Friday. According to this update, there have been 11 new cases in the county since July 15. At-home tests are not reported in the county case count. Since last week’s update, the county’s community level went down from high to medium.