The Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft District Health Department is pleading with residents to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing. The department says that even though cases in the eastern U-P are much lower than in many other parts of the Upper Peninsula, they are still up by 122-percent since August 25th.
As of yesterday, the five counties combined had 147 total positive cases.
The LMAS Press Release is below:
We at LMAS District Health Department know that these have been trying times for residents andcvisitors in Luce, Mackinac, Alger, and Schoolcraft Counties. Recent court decisions have led to additional concerns and questions.
The majority of our businesses, schools, places of worship, and individuals have been doing the right things since March, which has helped keep the COVID-19 numbers relatively low in our counties compared to other parts of the Upper Peninsula and the State. However, from August 25, 2020, through October 1, 2020, the LMAS counties have seen a 122% increase in COVID-19 cases (66 on 8/25 and 147 on 10/1).
We need you to choose to continue to do the small things we have been asking you to do for several months: wear a cloth face covering when in locations where you cannot maintain six feet of distance between yourself and someone not a part of your immediate household; stay home if you don’t feel well; wash your hands (use hand sanitizer if you don’t have access to soap and water); and avoid large gatherings.
The SARS-COV-2 virus which causes COVID-19 is called novel because it is new. It is not part of the influenza virus family. It is not like other coronaviruses. There is a lot we do not know about this virus.
In the Upper Peninsula, the fatality rate is currently at 1.22%; Michigan’s fatality rate is 5.3%. We hear many people say those fatality numbers are insignificant and they are willing to take their chances.
There are two things we ask you to consider: the first is that we don’t know who will and will not die from this virus, yes there are those with greater risk, but that should not cause their life to be valued less than others; and second, there are many who have ‘recovered’ from this coronavirus (recovered is defined as still being alive 30 days after onset of symptoms), but are still dealing with new health problems – ongoing fatigue, damage in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurological systems – otherwise healthy individuals who may now have lifelong effects of having had COVID-19.
LMAS is asking you to continue to wear cloth face coverings, maintain at least 6 feet of distance from those not in your household, stay home when you don’t feel well, and wash your hands. Will you help us as we work to take care of each other in our communities? Will you do these very small things to make a very big difference?
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