COVID-19 on the rise
I don’t want to beat this dead horse, but case rates are high right now. If you’re unvaccinated, it’s more important than ever that you protect yourself by getting the process started.
Even if you are vaccinated, boosters and masking in public is highly recommended by health experts and authorities.
Let’s take a look at some of the numbers.
These are the last two updates from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department. Obviously still a solid wall of red, but looking at the numbers tell’s a more nuanced story, too.
Anything over 10% positivity is considered high risk, and Houghton County’s latest statistic shows over 25%, up from 21% last week. Rates are also up in Gogebic and Keweenaw Counties but are trending down in Baraga and Ontonagon Counties.
While a 4% increase in Houghton County may not seem large, looking down the column a little you can spot the case count. Houghton’s has almost doubled in the last week. And now we’re heading into Thanksgiving.
Now let’s look at some of the state’s data.
The state’s COVID-19 Region 8 (that’s the Upper Peninsula), shows there are 70 total adults are in the hospital with COVID-19. There are 63 ICU beds total for adults in the area, and 43 of them are occupied as of Nov. 19. Four of the Region 8 COVID-19 patients are listed as on a ventilator.
Occupancy rates for U.P. hospitals are listed above.
Meanwhile, local schools have seen many COVID-19 cases. Baraga Area Schools reported a new outbreak of 37 cases on Nov. 15. Meanwhile, Hancock Public Schools has an ongoing outbreak of 31 cases in their elementary school (first reported Oct. 27), Lake Linden Hubbell Public Schools has an ongoing outbreak of 21 cases in their high school(first reported Oct. 4), and CLK schools have an outbreak of 29 students in their high school (first reported Oct. 4).
An ongoing outbreak is one that has had additional cases added to it in the last 28 days.
Statewide, we’re seeing a huge spike in cases right now. As high as we’ve seen since the beginning of the pandemic.
Luckily, deaths are not keeping the same pace with infections in this spike, likely owing to the broad use of vaccines.
Think safe, mask in public, get your vaccine. I don’t want to lose any readers.