Local data Thursday showed a significant decline in the numbers of new COVID-19 positives in Dickinson and Iron counties over the past week, even as the death toll blamed on the virus rose in both counties.

The Dickinson-Iron District Health Department on Thursday confirmed earlier figures on the state’s COVID-19 website that Iron County added five virus-related deaths since the DIDHD’s last report Jan. 27. Dickinson County had two more deaths.

But the numbers of new confirmed positives were almost half or better from what had been reported the week earlier: 149 in Dickinson County, down from 330, and 79 in Iron County, compared with 143. The previous period of Jan. 20 to Jan. 27 saw the highest level of new cases in the district since the pandemic began, according to the DIDHD.

Dickinson County also had 87 probable coronavirus positives and Iron County 54 probables since Jan. 27. In addition, Dickinson County had 173 people reclassified as recovered from the virus, while Iron County had 62 recoveries, the DIDHD listed in its Facebook post Thursday.

The DIDHD had Dickinson County at 4,798 confirmed positives and 2,309 probable cases to date, with 5,287 recovered, 101 deaths and 1,719 cases still active. For Iron County, the agency had 2,209 confirmed cases to date and 329 probables, with 1,935 recovered, 77 deaths and 526 active cases.

The Upper Peninsula as of Wednesday had 74 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 17 adults in intensive care and two on ventilators, according to Frontline UPdates JIC, a group of health care communication professionals from the U.P.

Statewide Wednesday, 2,966 adults were hospitalized with COVID-19 — plus 73 pediatric patients — with 556 adults in ICU beds and 359 on ventilators.

For the five Wisconsin counties in the region, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Thursday had Marinette County at 11,138 COVID-19 positives, up 27 since Wednesday, and 102 deaths; Vilas County, 5,010 positives, up 37, and 83 deaths; Forest County, 2,578 positives, up 13, and 47 deaths; Iron County, 1,431, up three, and 45 deaths; and Florence County, 1,029 positives, up six, and 15 deaths.