HOUGHTON COUNTY — Rumors and reports are circulating that people are coming to the area from downstate Michigan, as well as out-of-state, to escape the Coronavirus outbreak in their home areas.

Lt. Nick Roberts of the Houghton City Police said that while his department has not received complaints of people violating Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s March 23 shelter-in-place order, there have been calls questioning open businesses, and whether they are classified as essential.

“I haven’t been getting any phone calls, as far people social distancing in public,” said Roberts. “You can go out. You can get exercise. Obviously, we have to make sure to stay six feet apart from each other, and be appropriate.”

While Lt. Roberts is hopeful that the majority of people will continue to comply with the order, as well as the order to continue with social distancing, he fears that officers will eventually need to start issuing citations for violations.

“I hope not,” he said. “I hope that we don’t have to in the city here, but I think people are going to get more comfortable in the next couple weeks, but I’m hoping — we have to do our jobs.”

Roberts said he has had to remind people that the shelter-in-place order is still in effect, they still need practice social distancing, stay at home, if people are not a business or an agency who meets the qualifications of being an essential service.

“We’re telling people, go exercise outdoors,” said Roberts. “I mean, you’re not going to your gym, but go for a walk, go for a jog, respect social distancing, don’t go out in large groups, be appropriate.”

In reference to out-of-area people coming to Houghton County to escape the pandemic in their areas, Roberts said that he has also heard that heard that people are coming to the area from downstate to protect themselves. He said his department is not able to confirm that, his department did receive a call recently from a local resident Thursday, he had friends coming to the area, had reserved a hotel room, and were coming from out of the area to go snowmobiling.

“No. No. You’re not. You can’t do that right now,” he said. “And they’re from out of state, too. No. Stay home. It’s not vacation time. It’s not snowmobile time.”

Governors from several states, including Wisconsin, have issued shelter-in-place orders, including Gov. Whitmer, to stop the spread of COVID-19, which many people seem to be ignoring.

“No. The governor says stay home,” said Lt. Roberts. “You can’t travel across the (Mackinac) bridge to your camp.”

The bars and restaurants are closed, except for takeout, he said. the Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order is in place for a very specific public health and safety reason.

“Don’t come here on vacation,” said Lt. Roberts. “Don’t come here snowmobiling. This isn’t vacation time, this isn’t snowmobiling time. It is self-quarantine,” a sentiment expressed by many local residents.

“We’re all going to get Coronavirus,” said a local woman who did not wish to be identified for fear of retaliation. “We’re all going to get it, and it will be because somebody from outside brings it here trying to escape it.” She is not alone in that fear.

Bridge Michigan reported on March 19, three days before the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the Upper Peninsula, that some “Yoopers” had taken to social media over that previous week with calls to halt traffic between the two peninsulas. Marie Bailey, a cook who lives in Ontonagon, said she tried to use Twitter to draw Gov. Whitmer’s attention to the issue, but with no success.

Bridge Michigan reported that Bailey said she is concerned about her town’s large population of people who are 65 and older and at high risk for infection, exacerbated by the number of medical care facilities that have dwindled and moved farther away over the years. Closing the bridge to “unnecessary” traffic, Bailey said, could stop the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, before it reaches her area.

On Thursday, March 26, WWJ News, of Detroit, reported that currently, Michigan ranked the fifth-highest in the nation for the number of COVID-19 cases. According to michigan.gov/coronavirus, on Friday, March 27, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Michigan, as of that date, was 3,657 cases, and 92 deaths. Three of those cases are in the Upper Peninsula: one in Marquette County, one in Marquette County, and one in Gogebic County.

During a Thursday news conference, Gov. Whitmer said people need to stay in place as much as possible, in accordance with her executive order.