COVID Rates Edge Upward, but Remain “Low”

The COVID-19 rate in the region continues to rise, although levels remain quite low overall. 

The latest report from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department includes 78 new cases in the five-county region. Fifty-five were in Houghton County. Keweenaw, Baraga, Ontonagon and Gogebic Counties were all in single digits.

Counts may be incomplete, because many cases being diagnosed through home testing are not reported.

No new COVID-related deaths were reported in the region.

While all five counties remain in the “low” level, case rates per 100,000 residents have jumped from 14.4 in early April to 112 in the latest weekly update.

See the latest local briefing here.

That follows the statewide trend, which saw a 32 percent increase in confirmed diagnoses over the past week. The number of statewide deaths continues to decline, with 52 reported in the past week.

The number of Michiganders hospitalized because of the virus last week was 737. That’s 50 percent higher than a month ago.