MARQUETTE — With a significant rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases and community-wide transmission of the virus in Marquette County and surrounding areas, the Marquette County Health Department will begin prioritizing its investigation of certain cases, as standard contact tracing has become ineffective, officials announced Wednesday.

In an effort to focus public health resources in a manner that is targeted to the populations that are most vulnerable to severe outcomes of COVID-19, and prevent the spread through the school system, the health department will prioritize case investigations based on specific criteria, health department officials said in the Wednesday announcement.

Officials said the case investigation prioritization criteria are as follows:

≤ Children who are 18 years old or younger, especially those attending school in-person.

≤ Individuals living in, working in or visiting acute care, skilled nursing, mental health and long-term care facilities.

≤ People at higher risk for severe illness.

≤ Cases identified by the Marquette County Health Department that are considered at risk for an outbreak.

“It is imperative that citizens act promptly when diagnosed with COVID-19,” officials said in the release. “If you become aware of a positive test result, are symptomatic or believe that you have been exposed to COVID-19, take appropriate action and do not wait for the health department to call.”

Those who receive a positive COVID-19 test result should isolate for a minimum of 10 days from the start of symptoms or a positive test date if they did not have symptoms, officials said. People who test positive should notify their close contacts that they may have been exposed and encourage them to stay home to monitor their symptoms. If someone is awaiting test results, they should stay home until the results are in, according to the health department.

A close contact is any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more with or without face covering or being touched, sneezed or coughed upon. Close contacts should quarantine for 14 days from their last exposure.

While in isolation or quarantine, it is “imperative to stay home from work, school, social gatherings, extracurricular activities and any other public place other than when seeking medical care,” officials said in the release.

COVID-19 case, potential exposures at Ishpeming High School

Ishpeming Public Schools announced in a Tuesday Facebook post that it has a positive COVID-19 case at Ishpeming High School. The student was present in the building only for a couple of hours. After contact tracing with the Marquette County Health Department, officials determined that a small number of students had been potentially exposed. Those students will be out of school in quarantine until they are allowed to return as determined by the health department.

IPS said it will continue to follow the exposure closely.

Sheriff’s office to close due to rising cases

Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in Marquette County, the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office lobby will again be closed to the public, effective today.

Inmate visitation is available by visiting www.videovisitanywhere.com; there will be no in-house visitation. Inmate bond and commissary deposits can be made by visiting jailatm.com while jail housing payments can be made by mail or calling 906-225-8477. Civil process payments and requests for papers to be served should be mailed. Freedom of Information Act requests can be made at co.marquette.mi.us. Sex offenders should call 906-225-8435 to make arrangements with staff to verify. Completed ri-060 forms and completed permit-to-purchase forms should be mailed to 236 W. Baraga Ave., Marquette, MI 49855. If you need a permit to purchase a firearm immediately, call 906-225-8435 to make arrangements with the sheriff’s office staff.

St. Paul’s suspends in-person Sunday services

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Marquette has suspended its in-person Sunday services due to the high COVID-19 infection rate in the county, organizers said in an announcement Tuesday.

NMU COVID numbers up

The most recent cumulative numbers on Northern Michigan University’s Safe on Campus dashboard, found at https://nmu.edu/safe-on-campus/, show that between July 27 and Wednesday afternoon, there have been 200 cumulative COVID-19 positive cases. These include 79 on-campus students, 104 off-campus students and 17 employees.

There are 74 active positive cases — 39 on-campus students, 32 off-campus students and three employees.

Almost $100 million in small business relief funds awarded

Nearly $100 million in relief funding has been awarded to more than 14,000 small businesses across the state through the Michigan Small Business Restart Grant program, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Tuesday.

“Families across the state depend on small businesses for their livelihood, and these grants, combined with additional COVID-19 business relief efforts offered by the (Michigan Ecomomic Development Corporation), have helped to create a strong foundation for Michigan’s long-term economic recovery,” Whitmer said in a news release. “By putting federal funding to work for Michigan’s small businesses and additional COVID-19 relief efforts, we have made a real impact on our families and our communities. Of course, our work is not done. We still need the president and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to work across the aisle on a bipartisan recovery package that will provide support for our families, frontline workers and small businesses. I will continue working with all of our partners, both at the federal and the state level, to get this done for our small-business owners.”

Tuesday’s announcement brings the total amount awarded through the program to $95.6 million, up from $69 million announced at the end of September. A total of 5% of overall funding for the program went toward administrative costs of the economic development organizations administering the grants, officials said in the release.

Funding was distributed across 15 local or nonprofit economic development organizations covering every county in the state. Grants up to $20,000 were awarded to small businesses and nonprofits that have significant financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At least 30% of the funds awarded under the program were required to be provided to women-owned, minority-owned or veteran-owned eligible businesses. All economic development organizations have met or exceeded this requirement, according to the release.

Approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund in July, the Michigan Small Business Restart Program allocated $100 million of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding to provide support to Michigan’s small businesses and nonprofits that are reopening and have experienced a loss of income as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

The grants under the Michigan Small Business Restart Program may be used as working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses or other similar expenses.

The MEDC has launched 19 coronavirus relief and recovery programs that have supported more than 18,500 businesses in the state and helped to retain nearly 147,000 jobs across every county, officials said.

For other business and economic recovery resources, visit michiganbusiness.org/covid19.

Masks for MAPS

Marquette Area Public Schools announced in a Tuesday Facebook post that it received a donation of 1,000 cloth face masks from the United Way of Marquette County. The UWMC previously donated 3,500 cloth face masks.

Finlandia to start remote learning

Finlandia University will transition to remote learning starting Monday, with all athletic practices and workouts suspended through Nov. 20, university officials announced.

The move to remote learning, which is a week earlier than initially planned, is due to a recent “increase of active COVID-19 cases among students,” officials said.

In a letter to Finlandia students and employees, university President Philip Johnson said most new COVID-19 cases are off campus.

“However, through contact tracing, it is apparent that many of our residential students have been in situations where exposure to COVID-19 was possible,” Johnson said in his letter. “Contact tracing has resulted in higher numbers of students quarantined.”

Finlandia’s residence hall will remain open through noon Nov. 21.

“Those students who are able to transition safely home may begin to do so by the end of this week. If you are taking courses face to face and intend to travel this week, you must inform your instructors of your plans,” Johnson said in his letter. “Students who are experiencing symptoms, even mild symptoms, or who are quarantined are expected to follow the directives provided by the Western U.P. Health Department, medical providers or Finlandia University employees regarding any travel plans.

“We realize you may be anxious to get home or to leave quarantine, but it is imperative for the health and safety of this community and others that we do everything in our power to discourage additional transmission of the virus.”

Michigan National Guard to assist with free COVID-19 community testing in Manistique

The Michigan National Guard will continue its partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and local health departments by offering COVID-19 testing this weekend in Manistique.

The testing event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Schoolcraft County Road Commission, located at 322N East Road in Manistique.

The Michigan National Guard team members have tested negative for COVID-19 and follow strict medical protocols, officials said in a news release.

The Michigan National Guard has more than 20 trained testing teams ready to assist with testing in communities, long-term care facilities and the Michigan Department of Corrections. These teams include a certified medic to conduct the testing and additional members to assist with paperwork, logistics and non-medical tasks.

The Michigan National Guard has supported testing initiatives in 81 counties in the state during the last six months.

Whitmer sends letter to Trump requesting Michigan National Guard use extension

Whitmer sent a letter to President Donald Trump Tuesday requesting an extension of Title 32 authority to use Michigan National Guard forces to combat the spread of COVID-19 through March 31 for virus response and vaccine-related activities, according to a news release from Whitmer’s office.

Title 32 status, which provides for federal pay and benefits, is currently authorized by the president through Dec. 31, officials said.

“The Michigan National Guard remains a crucial part of the state’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Guard is vital to our ongoing recovery as well,” Whitmer said in the release. “Michigan, as in many other states, is experiencing a marked incline in our COVID-19 positive cases across the state. To provide a thorough response, Michigan has been heavily relying on the Michigan National Guard’s efforts to perform widespread testing and screening, distributing personal protective equipment and assisting at numerous food banks across the state. That’s why we need extended use of the Michigan National Guard through March 31.”

Due to the Monday announcement that Pfizer and BioNTech are accelerating the large-scale testing of COVID-19 vaccines and in anticipation of rapid approval from the Food and Drug Administration, Michigan will look to the Michigan National Guard to provide logistical support and transportation support to help distribute the vaccine, officials said in the news release.

Michigan National Guard members have helped distribute more than 14 million pounds of food at food banks, delivered tests and protective equipment across the state, and assisted with testing more than 200,000 state residents for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to the release. The Guard is currently partnering with the MDHHS and local health departments to offer COVID-19 testing, provide antigen training for health care practitioners and to provide informational assistance in call centers.