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ESCANABA -- State COVID-19 data Saturday showed no new confirmed positives in Delta, Menominee or Schoolcraft counties, on a day when new coronavirus cases across the United States tumbled to rates not seen since last June.
As the seven-day average for new cases nationally dropped below 30,000 per day this week, Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pointed out cases have not been this low since June 18. The average number of deaths over the past seven days also dropped to 552 -- a rate not seen since July last year. It's a dramatic drop since the pandemic hit a devastating crescendo in January.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' coronavirus website Saturday listed just 11 new confirmed positives in only six of the Upper Peninsula's 15 counties: four in Ontonagon County; two in Houghton and Baraga counties; and one each in Iron, Luce and Chippewa counties. No new deaths were recorded in the region.
Using only the state's figures, the Upper Peninsula as of Saturday has had 19,878 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 428 deaths.
Across the U.P., the MDHHS data site Saturday had Keweenaw County at 143 confirmed cases and 32 probable, and one confirmed death and one probable death; Luce County, 210 confirmed cases and 248 probable, three confirmed death and one probable death; Alger County, 321 confirmed, 193 probable and two deaths, four probable; Schoolcraft County, 341 confirmed cases and 82 probable, four deaths and one probable; Ontonagon County, 414 confirmed, 58 probable and 20 deaths, one probable; Mackinac County, 446 confirmed cases and 250 probable, three deaths; Baraga County, 666 confirmed cases, 122 probable and 37 deaths; Iron County, 980 confirmed cases and 68 probable, 42 deaths and nine probable; Gogebic County, 1,034 confirmed cases and 362 probable, 22 deaths and 28 probable; Chippewa County, 1,071 confirmed cases and 1,390 probable, and 28 deaths, five probable; Menominee County, 1,783 confirmed cases, 325 probable and 40 deaths, two probable; Dickinson County, 2,389 confirmed cases and 335 probable, 59 deaths and 15 probable; Houghton County, 2,513 confirmed cases, 606 probable, 33 deaths and eight probable; Delta County, 3,330 confirmed cases and 681 probable, 74 deaths and 19 probable; and Marquette County, 4,237 confirmed cases, 813 probable and 60 deaths, one probable. State numbers are updated almost daily but can lag behind local reports or have other discrepancies.
The MDHHS on Saturday posted 1,013 confirmed new coronavirus positives in Michigan for a total to date of 883,202. The state Saturday had 86 deaths attributed to the virus -- including 91 that happened earlier but recently were verified through vital records and testing, along with other adjustments that resulted in a net total of 86, according to the MDHHS -- to reach 18,939.
The state no longer updates its COVID-19 figures on Sundays.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.