The latest update from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department has included new metrics measuring the percentage of residents who have been fully vaccinated. The five-county average is a respectable 14.1%, but some regions are ahead of others. Ontonagon County has already seen immunization rates top 20%. The question becomes what percentage of the population has been exposed to COVID-19 and developed natural immunity? An op-ed from Marty Makary, a member of the faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, that appeared in the Wall Street Journal February 18th suggested that a combination of vaccinations and natural immunodefense would be widespread enough by April to deliver herd immunity in the United States. It is something worth watching in the weeks and months to come as more doses are put in arms.
In Houghton, Baraga, and Keweenaw Counties there were 34 new cases and 46 recoveries combined.
TOTAL: 41 more positives, 7 more probable positives, 91 more recoveries, 0 deaths and 14.10% fully vaccinated
BARAGA COUNTY: 3 more positives, 1 more probable positive, 2 more recoveries and 17.16% fully vaccinated
GOGEBIC COUNTY: 6 more positives, 2 more probable positives, 30 more recoveries and 14.25% fully vaccinated
HOUGHTON COUNTY: 28 more positives, 3 more probable positives, 42 more recoveries and 12.17% fully vaccinated
KEWEENAW COUNTY: 3 more positives, 1 more probable positive, 4 more recoveries and 15.44% fully vaccinated
ONTONAGON COUNTY: 1 more positive, 11 more recoveries and 20.09% fully vaccinated
The full report is here.