We believe an effort launched not too long ago by a pair of county agencies will have a positive impact on the number of COVID-19 cases besetting Marquette County.

It’s being called, simply, “Mask Up Marquette!” And in a nutshell, the campaign encourages COVID-19 prevention measures within the county and shares vital information, including local and regional data with community leaders and the general public on an online platform.

It consists of social media posts, television and streaming advertisements using the hashtag #maskupmqt to promote the use of face coverings, washing hands, social distancing and staying home if sick.

Sounds like things all of us should have been doing for months. Regrettably, that has not happened and, accordingly, the number of coronavirus cases here and elsewhere has skyrocketed with no end in sight.

The local resource to find information is www.maskupmqt.org, which has official guidance and directives regarding COVID-19, the Pure Michigan business pledge, COVID-19 facts and downloadable outreach materials.

A COVID-19 dashboard created and maintained weekly by the Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Regional Commission visually displays data and trending data for Marquette County, the U.P. and the state.

We applaud these county agencies for trying to do what can be done to get this miserable pandemic under control. Additionally, the Community Foundation of Marquette County and the Flagstar Foundation deserve recognition for providing supplemental funding to support the campaign.

It’s good to see this kind of effort.