The Health Department of Northwest Michigan is saddened to report the first pediatric death within its four-county jurisdiction. The death was reported to the Health Department today, November 12.
Health officials express their sympathy to this family and all families who have experienced a loss or illness due to COVID-19.
“Each COVID-19 death is heart-wrenching, but the loss of a child is a tragic and stark reminder of the difficult circumstances we are in throughout our county, state and nation,” said Health Officer Lisa Peacock and Medical Director Dr. Josh Meyerson. “Right now, we are seeing younger people getting sick and some require hospitalization. Every person lost to this virus, young or old, leaves a hole in the fabric of our communities.”
The health department continues to emphatically stress the importance of following these mitigation strategies to curb the spread of COVID in our community: get vaccinated, wear masks in public settings, maintain 3-6 feet or more of distance between others, practice good hand hygiene, get tested if exposed to someone with COVID, and stay home when sick.
The health department is not releasing further information. Daily case counts of COVID-19 in the region are available on the health department data dashboard.
Stay up to date on the latest information in the Health Department of Northwest Michigan jurisdiction by liking and following our Facebook page and visiting our COVID-19 Data Dashboard. To locate a testing facility, visit the Michigan COVID-19 Test Finder website. To track the risk levels of COVID-19 pandemic indicators, visit the MI Safe Start Map website. For more information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the MDHHS vaccine website or the CDC vaccine website.
