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MARQUETTE — The Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft District Health Department announced that COVID-19 cases are up in its areas, especially in Schoolcraft County, with eight cases from July 6-13 increasing to 21 cases in the following week ending on July 20.

The U.P. has added just over 1,200 new cases in the last two weeks as of Friday, the department said. Alger County is also at high transmission level, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but appears to be again trending downward.

The department indicated that Luce County is at medium transmission and Mackinac County is low.

“The numbers may seem small, but with the expanding use of home testing, we know that we do not have the actual number of active cases,” the department said in a news release. “However, with the high transmission level in Schoolcraft, this is a good time to assess your own comfort level and risk factors. Make sure you are using the tools available to you and your family to reduce your risk of serious illness.”

The department said that vaccinations, while not as effective at preventing the sub-variants of omicron, still help to keep people from becoming seriously ill and hospitalized.

It said that individuals who are vaccinated but have not received their boosters should visit LMASDHD.org to make an appointment or call their local LMAS office.

Wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces, the department said, is always a good option, and wearing a well-fitted mask such as a KN95 also is a good idea.

It recommends individuals keep home test kits on hand and ensure that they are not spreading COVID-19 before they meet with friends or family.

The department suggests that anyone who becomes ill with a fever and other symptoms, such as cough, sore throat and sneezing, stay home until their fever subsides and symptoms improve.

Anyone testing positive for COVID-19 should notify their close contacts and isolate on the first five days, it said. If symptoms subside by the sixth day, people should wear a mask on days 6-10 if they need to leave their home.

Also, people who test positive should contact their medical provider about prescription medications now available for those with COVID-19.

LMAS has free COVID-19 testing kits and masks available to the public at all four of its offices in St. Ignace, Newberry, Manistique and Munising.

For more information and to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, visit LMASDHD.org.

Appointments

accepted at clinic

The Marquette County Health Department continues to take appointments for COVID-19 vaccines at its clinic in Negaunee Township.

Call 906-475-7844 to schedule an appointment. For homebound individuals seeking vaccination, contact MCHD at 906-458-1808.

COVID-19 vaccines also are available throughout the community, including Walgreen’s, Walmart, Meijer, Snyder Drug and Campus pharmacies, CVS-Target and the Upper Great Lakes Family Health Centers, MCHD said.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.