COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch-Hillsdale-St.Joseph Community Health Agency has reported three additional deaths in their jurisdiction of people who had tested positive for COVID-19.
Two of the deaths were in Hillsdale County while the other death was in Branch County.
There have been 57 deaths in the C.H.A.’s jurisdiction including 29 in Hillsdale County. In addition, there have been 17 deaths in St. Joseph County and 11 in Branch County.
St. Joseph County continues to have the most cases in the jurisdiction with 1,049 while Branch County has had 770 cases and Hillsdale County had has 463 since the pandemic began.
The C.H.A. does not provide statistics as to how many of the nearly 2,200 persons who tested positive for COVID-19 in the jurisdiction have recovered from the virus.
Health Officer Rebecca Burns says, “This uptick in deaths is predictable as the cases increase and is truly unfortunate as we know how to help minimize transmission of the virus by keeping socially distant, wearing masks, washing hands, and staying home when sick.” She adds many cases in the uptick are the result of community spread which means that individuals were exposed while going about their usual business.
According to Burns, “Although we have had cases in workplaces, long-term care facilities, and on sports teams, many others don’t seem to have any particular connection to an event. This makes it even more important for everyone in the community to wear a mask, keeping socially distant, washing their hands, and staying home when sick.”
Burns went on to say that keeping COVID-19 out of the schools is becoming more time consuming as the number of cases increase and that her team is finding more and more that some individuals will not participate in case investigation or cooperate by providing close contacts.
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