Upper Peninsula residents know what a long winter feels like, better than most. Unfortunately, if we don’t remain steadfast in curbing the coronavirus outbreak, this could be one of our longest winters in history.

A top Michigan health official said Tuesday she was cautiously optimistic that more residents took steps to combat the surging coronavirus last month, citing declining case rates, but warned that the spread remains significant and the effect of Thanksgiving will not be known for two to three weeks, as reported by The Associated Press.

Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive and an adviser to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, urged people who traveled for the holiday to stay away from others for 14 days.

Whitmer said it was too early to say if her administration will extend a three-week order that prevents high schools from offering in-person instruction, prohibits dine-in service at restaurants and closes various entertainment businesses. The restrictions are due to end on Tuesday.

Michigan’s seven-day case average of 6,815 is down from 7,370 two weeks ago, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The rate of tests coming back positive, 12.5%, is up from 11.8%. The average daily death count is 95 — an increase from 60 on Nov. 17 — and the highest since early May.

The state health department reported 190 deaths on Tuesday, including 160 over the most recent 24-hour period. Deaths are a lagging indicator since it takes time for people to get sick and die.

“We’re cautiously optimistic. Based on what we are seeing, more people started doing the right thing towards the beginning of November. That means wearing masks, not gathering and maintaining 6 feet of distance from others,” Khaldun said. She added that officials will look at trends in the wake of Thanksgiving.

“Too many people traveled for Thanksgiving, and we will see the numbers increase very likely because of it,” Whitmer said. “That will coincide with the next big holiday, Christmas. Too many people are considering traveling and I reiterate — please don’t.”

It has been stated before, but it’s worth mentioning again — refraining from holiday gatherings this year is the best way to ensure that in future years, there won’t be empty chairs at the table. We are all exhausted with 2020, but we must continue to do our part to alter the current course of this pandemic. During this holiday season, by all means — support local businesses and restaurants, but do so safely.