COVID-19 is spiking among Leelanau and Benzie County residents, with more than 300 new cases in November so far — nearly a six-fold increase in new daily cases compared to September, according to Public Information Officer Rachel Pomeroy at Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department (BLDHD).

In the window between Saturday, Nov. 21 and Monday, Nov. 23, the local health department reported 65 new cases (Leelanau with 25; Benzie, 40). And with this latest surge, all of the new cases were residents.

The health department also reported and two new COVID-19 deaths over the weekend, a Leelanau County female in her 30s, and a Benzie County male in his 70s. That brings the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 to eight for these two counties.

Now prompted by what Health Officer Lisa Peacock is calling “disturbing trends in pandemic indicators,” the BLDHD released a new Public Health Advisory this week, giving heightened guidance for local residents.

The Leelanau Ticker checked in with BLDHD’s Director of Personal Health, Michelle Klein, to find out what's behind the rise in cases and to get a behind-the-scenes look into contact tracing and supporting those who are newly diagnosed.

Leelanau Ticker: The new cases in Leelanau and Benzie are rapidly rising…
Klein: We are seeing that clearly. It’s a little shocking, how quickly the numbers are going up. For a frame of reference, I submit a weekly report to the state each Thursday. [Last week] I submitted 145 confirmed cases. The week before 65. The week before that 47. Social gatherings, football parties, and some big gatherings over Halloween are the biggest drivers at this point.

Leelanau Ticker: Even with our region’s influx of summer visitors we didn’t see spikes like this. Why?
Klein: We certainly saw some spikes in the middle of summer related to social gatherings, but nothing like what we are seeing now. Several things are going on. A couple of outbreaks related to social gatherings — once things began moving inside — really affected numbers. We are tired, we are tired of all this. And we feel very safe with our close friends and family, and then don’t wear masks because it feels very comfortable and safe. The spread is happening with close connections.

Leelanau Ticker: Anything Leelanau residents can do to protect our more vulnerable neighbors right now?
Klein: If we are mildly ill, we are used to going about our business — doing what we want to do or need to do — but when you’re sick at all, just stay home. So many folks we talk to feel terrible, saying, ‘I thought it was just my allergies,’ then went to work and exposed several people. They made a choice that seemed okay, that felt okay. And I would say, if you know neighbor who is more vulnerable give them a call, run to the store for them, and deliver to their door.

Leelanau Ticker: Health officers are in the limelight now more than ever. What’s that like?
Klein: Public health is usually under the radar, because public health is about prevention: case investigations, reporting of communicable diseases, home visits, working with tobacco cessation, ensuring restaurants are safe, etc. Just like it is for every other business and organization, we’ve suddenly been thrust into another full-time job, into a full-COVID response, with the incredible challenge to meet the needs of the community and provide good and frequent information with limited resources.

Leelanau Ticker: What kinds of COVID-19 conversations are you having with leaders across Leelanau?
Klein: As we are talking with business owners, working with schools, and with the Grand Traverse Band, everybody talks about how this is affecting the entire community. Schools are doing an excellent job of keeping really good culture of mask-wearing, so we are not seeing widespread COVID-19 within the school buildings overall. At our local businesses, when two people test positive and the whole staff is not able to work, those are hard conversations we have to have with these business owners. And we understand the ramifications. Not one single agency or person can get through this themselves.

Leelanau Ticker: Let’s talk gatherings, heading into tomorrow and the days to come.
Klein: I do think it best to keep Thanksgiving small this year. It’s a hard decision, but be very thoughtful about who you spend it with and hopefully this is the last holiday we need to do this. On a personal level, this hit home in my own family group, and 10 people ended up getting COVID. One died. One was pregnant. The message is really that we feel so very safe with family and friends and tend to not be as cautious, but we need to be even more so if we are in close contact for an extended period of time.

Leelanau Ticker: Any health department shout-outs?
Klein: We have a fabulous crew of case investigators. We have hired 12 and are still hiring. Most are nurses or have a health education background, and, my gosh, they care so much. They are talking to somebody who just tested positive for COVID, and wade right into the emotions they are dealing with whether it’s guilt, anger, frustration, worry, and the many nuances specific to each family.

Leelanau Ticker: Wow. And you call them case investigators?
Klein: Yes — though the common term is contact tracers — because it’s not all about identifying contacts, it’s also about taking care of that person that just tested positive and supporting whatever they need emotionally. We sometimes are the first person to let them know. Some are absolutely surprised. Sometimes, not frequently, the case investigators may be verbally abused. But most of the time people can get past that, and we can let them know what they need to take of themselves and their close contacts.

Leelanau Ticker: And are you speaking with the family members and spouses too?
Klein: Of course, there is an awful lot of anxiety about caring for a partner. Recently there was a death in a family with someone who had tested positive. When this person’s spouse died, they immediately called the case investigator. They are making that kind of connection with families. It’s not something where they call and read a script and they are done.

Leelanau Ticker: Any final thoughts?
Klein: There is so much more to this than, “I am afraid of getting COVID,” and most people DO do okay with it, but there is also a lot of anxiety about the economics behind this. A way to support our neighbors? Get the takeout. Shop the local stores. You can help our whole community with just doing small things to help.

As of 4pm yesterday there were eight additional cases of COVID-19 reported in Benzie and seven additional cases of COVID-19 reported in Leelanau. Those new cases are currently being contacted and investigated. Visit the BLDHD COVID-19 Data Dashboard for the latest local information including recovered data and contact tracing here: http://www.bldhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19