All of us should have been paying very close attention to a notice the Marquette County Health Department put out late last week, which detailed the reasons that COVID-19 pandemic cases have spiked in recent weeks and months.

In a news release issued on Friday, the agency listed these factors:

≤ gatherings and travel associated with Labor Day;

≤ increased tourism in the area as a result of restrictions elsewhere and successful travel-related advertising campaigns;

≤ increased social activity of citizens due to loosening restrictions and pandemic fatigue;

≤ a return to school and workplace environments;

≤ a recent prison-related outbreak, which was transmitted to employees who live within the community; and

≤ reduced diligence in adhering to COVID-19 mitigation strategies, again due to pandemic fatigue, complacency and politicization of the epidemic response.

As much as anyone, we understand that people are just getting tired of the pandemic, wearying of this restriction and that one.

But here’s the thing. In countries where mask wearing and social distancing have been carefully practiced, where people used their heads in how they acted, COVID-19 has been brought to heel.

Regrettably, not here, and the result is rampant infection rates that show no sign of slowing down in many places.

As a nation, we must do the right thing, even though we’d rather do something else.

Put your mask on, use social distancing and above and beyond everything else, use your head — common sense — in how you act and what you do.

The life you save could be your own.