07/03/2020- Public Health agencies on both sides of the border are urging residents to keep celebrations close to home this holiday weekend. Public Health Delta and Menominee Counties is reminding residents to keep Independence Day gatherings small, gather outside, wash hands frequently, practice social distancing, wear face coverings, and ask everyone to bring their own food or drinks instead of sharing these items. Officials say COVID-19 is still present in the community and continuing to follow these and other safety guidelines could help slow the spread of the virus. The Marinette County Public Health Office is echoing the message put out by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, which also recommends residents stay home and follow best public health practices during the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. Wisconsin has seen a recent surge in cases with half of all positive cases coming within the past five weeks and nearly 20% of total COVID-19 cases in the state testing positive within the past two weeks. This spike in cases is driven in part by an increase in infections among younger people, and contact tracing by some local health departments has revealed that many of these cases can be traced to bars.