Ironwood Commission gets the lastest on COVID-19

IRONWOOD – The Ironwood City Commission on Tuesday heard the latest developments on the COVID-19 response in the western Upper Peninsula.  Kate Beer, the health officer, and administrator for the Western U.P. Health Department attended the virtual meeting to report on the state and regional response.  Beer says their big concern still remains that people are coming to the area and not quarantining for 14 days before they visit or go shopping or things of that nature. She continued saying “We will have to see what kind of impact the reopening will have on our case numbers going forward and we are going to be watching that very closely.” Gogebic County has five positive cases and one non-Michigan resident case who is recovering in the area. Two new announcements from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday included an order to expand the types of medical staff who can order a COVID-19 test as part of the goal of testing 15,000 people daily statewide.  The effort to reach underserved tribal and rural communities now allows a nurse to provide a COVID-19 testing order where it had required an advance medical order from a physician.  The order creates a new category of community testing sites where anyone can be tested without a physician or paying an out-of-pocket cost.  The health department is developing a routine testing plan for the five-county area which includes Gogebic which could include a mobile.