Words of cautious optimism THE TOURISTS ARE here! NMU students are returning! We're all doomed! That's the fear that gripped many of us midway through the summer in Marquette County. It was a legitimate concern since it meant that many "outsiders," most of whom lived in areas with higher COVID infection rates, were ... Continue Reading
Searching for Good News on the COVID Front
AMID THE FRUSTRATION, disappointment, and anxiety that's resulted from the increasing numbers of COVID infections in Marquette County and the UP, is this one bright and noteworthy fact: There have been no reported COVID deaths in Marquette County for the last 12 weeks. None. So, Question #1 for Dr. Kevin ... Continue Reading
Why the UP Is Becoming High Risk, and Where to Get a Taste of Hawaii
The numbers have been climbing IT DOESN'T SEEM to make sense. The Upper Peninsula, we like to think, is a relatively COVID-free area, far away from the congested cities to the south. The positive rate (percent of tested people who come back positive) in Marquette County, for example, has been very low, only about 1.5%. ... Continue Reading
An Alarming Rise in Numbers, But Some of Us Say ‘So What? It’s Summer!!’
NO, WE'RE NOT done with the first wave of the pandemic. Not even close. No, the hot weather--as we had desperately hoped--is not making a dent in the COVID numbers. No, the UP is not immune to the spread of COVID. These are the unfortunate truths we face, backed up by stubborn and depressing facts. ... Continue Reading
To Mask or Not to Mask
MICHIGAN EXECUTIVE ORDER 2010-110 seems explicit: "Any person who leaves his or her home or place of residence must: Wear a face covering over his or her nose and mouth...when in any enclosed public space, unless the individual is unable medically to tolerate a face covering." And yet virtually all of us have been in ... Continue Reading