North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell says the increase in COVID-19 cases the Northwest is experiencing is what health officials feared, and it may have arrived earlier than they expected.  McDonell says locally there has been an increase in cases, and sporadic cases, but looking outside the area shows why the current trend is alarming.  McDonell noted the fatigue people are feeling with not connecting with family and friends.  She says health officials throughout the state and locally are observing smaller gatherings of extended family or friends as a key driver in case counts.