ESCANABA — Delta County had four confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of this morning, according to Public Health, Delta and Menominee Counties (PHDM) Health Officer Mike Snyder.

On Wednesday, the state reported that two new cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in Delta County. These were in addition to the Delta County Airport employee who had the county’s first confirmed case, which was reported on Sunday, March 29.

After the state issued its numbers for Wednesday, PHDM was notified of another confirmed case in the county.

“It came in after 10:00 in the morning yesterday,” Snyder said of the fourth case.

As of press time, no additional information was available on Delta County’s three new cases of COVID-19. However, Snyder said the disease has apparently begun spreading from person to person locally.

“I think it’s safe to say we’re beginning to see evidence of community-level spread of the virus,” he said.

Because of this, he urged people in the area to take steps to protect their own health and the health of others.

“It’s important that the public take social distancing seriously,” Snyder said.

Health officials are also asking “snowbirds” coming back to their homes in the area to self-quarantine.

“We have outstanding medical facilities in our area, but they have limited capacity to care for large numbers of severely ill individuals at the same time. Having a sudden migration of people into the area, many of whom would be arriving from places where COVID-19 is widespread in their communities, could easily overwhelm our healthcare system,” said Snyder.

Michigan is not currently requiring travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival like some other states are doing. For individuals who are returning to the area, PHDM recommends that you do the right thing and stay home for 14 days to make sure you do not become ill and expose others.

“We are working diligently to slow the spread of this illness as much as possible, and self-quarantine is an effective way to do that. We will get through this difficult time, but we need everyone to take this situation seriously, follow executive orders and stay home, and consider the health and well-being of others when making travel decisions.” said Snyder.

Travelers should bring 14 days-worth of groceries and other necessary provisions with them or arrange for a family member or friend do the shopping for them. If these items cannot be delivered before the travelers arrive, they should be left outside the residence.