According to the Western U.P. Health Department, the area has seen it’s highest case count since the department resumed updates at the end of August. There were 273 new COVID-19 cases across the five county area between October 6 and 13th. This includes 12 new cases in Ontonagon, 86 in Gogebic, 127 in Houghton, 38 in Baraga and 10 cases in Keweenaw. For reference, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention considers a case rate of 100 or more per 100,000 population to be a high risk of transmission. There was one death in Houghton County, bringing the total number of COVID-related deaths in the five counties to 178.