Clare’s COVID-19 deaths now up to nine

Five this month alone

A ninth person has died of COVID-19 in Clare County, more than half occurring since the start of October, and the number of people hospitalized there has surpassed the number in Isabella County.

No details were immediately available about the person who died. An email was sent to Central Michigan District Health Department seeking information, but hasn’t been answered.

Two of the other four deaths occurred during an outbreak at one of the county’s two nursing homes with COVID- 19 cases, North Woods Nursing Center, 2532 W. Cadillac Dr., in Farwell.

Forty-four people associated with the home have contracted the disease, including 44 resi

dents and 20 staff.

With the four additional cases added since Monday, it is now the largest nursing home outbreak in midMichigan.

The other Clare County nursing home outbreak involved six residents and two staff at Medilodge of Clare, 600 SW 4th St.

As of last week, the two outbreaks had resulted in a combined five hospitalizations, pushing Clare’s total to 25. With a population less than half of Isabella County, its total number of hospitalizations was just one than themore populous county.

That changed Wednesday, when CMDHD published its weekly data and statistics sheet. Five additional people in Clare County have spent time in the hospital since last Wednesday for a total of 30. Three additional hospitalizations were recorded in Isabella County for a total of 29.

Two additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Clare County on Wednesday afternoon, bringing the county’s cumulative total to 202. With 30 hospitalizations and 202 cases, Clare County’s hospitalization rate remains fairly steady at 14.8 percent. With nine deaths and 202 cases, the county’s case fatality rate is 4.5 percent.

That stands in contrast to a hospitalization rate in Isabella County of 3.4 percent and a case fatality rate — the percentage of confirmed cases that end in death — of 1.8 percent. Isabella County’s cumulative case numbers increased by seven Wednesday to 836, with 15 deaths.

Previously, CMDHD Health Officer Steve Hall said that the two biggest contributors to negative COVID-19 outcomes— hospitalizations and death — are age and poor health. Clare County’s population is older than Isabella County’s — especially accounting for the fact that many of Isabella’s cases are young people — and its people are in general more impoverished. Poverty is linked to higher rates of poor health through factors such as lack of access to quality food and health care.

Another three cases were reported in Gratiot County on Wednesday, bringing its cumulative total to 359, with 16 deaths. Gratiot County is serviced by Mid-michigan District Health Department, which doesn’t release information on hospitalizations.

Two cases were confirmed as associated with Ithaca Public Schools, said Marcus Cheatum, MMDHD health officer. He had no information on who was involved, but said the school district has done a great job of following its reopening plan, which was good to begin with.

Elsewhere in mid-michigan, Mecosta County continues to report a rapid increase of cases with nine more cases Wednesday for a cumulative total of 394, with four deaths. On Wednesday, for the first time, the county was coded red — the highest risk for COVID-19 spread — on the Harvard Global Health Initiative’s COVID-19 county-level tracking map.

Montcalm County was close behind, still in orange by climbing rapidly. Another nine cases were recorded Wednesday, bringing the county’s total to 488, with eight deaths.

In Midland County, another 15 cases were reported, bringing that county’s cumulative total to 718, with 14 deaths. Five more cases were reported in Gladwin County, bringing its cumulative total to 146, with two deaths.

Statewide, another 1,597 cases were reported statewide for a cumulative total of 150,989; and another 33 deaths for a total of 7,086.

One of those deaths might have been Peter Secchia, a Grand Rapids business man, former ambassador to Italy and Republican Party donor.

Secchia, 83, died Wednesday morning, and a number of media outlets reported that his family confirmed that COVID19 was a contributing factor.