For the Mining Gazette

HOUGHTON — State COVID-19 data Tuesday showed virus activity rising in Baraga County while holding relatively steady in Houghton County in the past week.

Houghton County had 22 confirmed positives since Nov. 29, three fewer new cases than a week ago. Baraga County had 14 new confirmed positives, up 10 from the previous week, while Keweenaw County again had no new cases reported. None of the counties recorded a new death attributed to COVID-19.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services coronavirus website Tuesday added 217 confirmed positives since Nov. 29 to the Upper Peninsula’s tally: 40 in Marquette County; 27 in Delta County; 22 in Houghton and Menominee counties; 21 in Gogebic County; 20 in Dickinson County; 17 in Schoolcraft County; 14 in Baraga and Chippewa counties; nine in Ontonagon County; six in Iron County; and two in Keweenaw, Mackinac and Alger counties; Luce County’s count was reduced by one.

The state recorded two virus-related deaths in Dickinson and one in Chippewa and Menominee counties.

Using only the MDHHS figures, the Upper Peninsula as of Tuesday has had 61,756 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 944 deaths since pandemic tracking began in March 2020.

Across the U.P., the MDHHS data Tuesday had Keweenaw County at 574 confirmed cases and 67 probable, and 14 confirmed deaths and one probable death; Luce County, 762 confirmed cases and 872 probable, 16 confirmed deaths and four probable deaths; Ontonagon County, 1,163 confirmed, 138 probable and 40 deaths, three probable; Alger County, 1,257 confirmed, 816 probable and eight deaths, nine probable; Schoolcraft County, 1,324 confirmed cases and 813 probable, 14 deaths and four probable; Mackinac County, 1,927 confirmed cases and 972 probable, 33 deaths and four probable; Baraga County, 2,048 confirmed cases, 439 probable and 56 deaths, two probable; Iron County, 3,019 confirmed cases and 396 probable, 82 deaths and 17 probable; Gogebic County, 3,470 confirmed cases and 663 probable, 44 deaths and 31 probable; Chippewa County, 4,079 confirmed cases and 5,941 probable, and 96 deaths, 19 probable; Menominee County, 4,680 confirmed cases, 2,125 probable and 65 deaths, 13 probable; Dickinson County, 6,051 confirmed cases and 3,055 probable, 100 deaths and 24 probable; Houghton County, 8,097 confirmed cases, 1,231 probable, 93 deaths and 12 probable; Delta County, 8,896 confirmed cases and 3,132 probable, 140 deaths and 34 probable; and Marquette County, 14,409 confirmed cases, 4,012 probable and 143 deaths, 16 probable. State figures can lag behind local reports or have other discrepancies.

The MDHHS on Tuesday had 11,918 new confirmed and probable coronavirus positives in Michigan since Nov. 29, or an average of about 1,703 cases per day for the seven-day period, for a total of 2,950,361 cases since COVID tracking began. The state since Nov. 29 added 242 confirmed and probable deaths attributed to the virus to reach 40,327.

The state updates COVID-19 data once a week, usually on Tuesdays.