The Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft District Health Department is sounding the alarm over a recent rise in coronavirus cases, which the department blames on the highly-transmissible delta variant.
In a news release on Saturday, LMAS said that between September 1st and September 17th, the LMAS says there were 302 cases in the four counties, including 108 in Mackinac County. Alger County added 90 cases, Schoolcraft County had 55, and Luce County reported 49 new cases. Mackinac County reported a death.
LMAS says that before the delta variant surfaced here, it appeared that the pandemic was waning in the Upper Peninsula, with people getting vaccinated and very few new cases reported in the region.
By August, the Delta Variant was spreading across the Upper Peninsula. The COVID-19 pandemic clearly is not over.
Hospitals are reaching capacity and beyond with COVID patients and other medical issues. Our four critical access hospitals are facing challenges in getting critically ill patients the care they need because receiving hospitals don’t have capacity.
It is time for everyone in our four counties to take steps to manage their risk. Get vaccinated. Stay home if you’re sick. Get tested if you experience COVID symptoms. Wear a mask indoors. Avoid crowded indoor places.
These are things we need everyone to do again. These are small action steps that will make a significant difference in protecting each other. Go to LMASDHD.org for testing and vaccination locations.
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