December 27, 2021 – Health Department of Northwest Michigan COVID-19 Update
A statewide goal to have 1 million more Michiganders, including 95% of eligible nursing home residents, receive the safe, effective COVID-19 booster by Jan. 31, 2022, was recently announced by the governor and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) officials. In addition, actions were outlined for residents to take to keep themselves and their families safe.
“As Omicron becomes the dominant COVID-19 variant across the U.S., we all should step up to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe,” said Lisa Peacock, Health Officer with the Health Department of Northwest Michigan. “I encourage everyone to get vaccinated and to make sure to get your booster shot, which offers a more robust protection against this newest variant,” she added.
Health officials stress that none of us can predict whether we will get mild or severe symptoms or find ourselves facing long COVID symptoms. Even otherwise healthy and young people can get sick or end up needing care, so it is important that everyone use all of the proven prevention strategies at our disposal. If you are gathering with family, friends or traveling, be extra vigilant, get vaccinated, get tested and wear a mask to keep yourself, your family, and your community safe.
Actions to take
- Get your vaccine. Get your booster. For a list of vaccine providers and locations in Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego counties, click here.To schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment with the Health Department of Northwest Michigan exclusively for children 5 to 11 years old, click here. To schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment with the health department for anyone 12 and older, click here. A parent/guardian must accompany those younger than 18 to a COVID-19 clinic. Please bring an insurance card to the appointment. Anyone with questions or unable to find a time or date that works for them and/or their child may call the health department at 800-432-4121.
- Mask up in public indoor settings and crowded outdoor settings. Upgrade your mask to something with additional layers such as a KN95 mask or wear two well-fitting face coverings.
- For gatherings with friends or family, people who are immunocompromised should take all precautions, including wearing a well-fitted mask. If a member of your household has a weakened immune system, wear a mask. If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or if you may have been exposed to COVID-19, and before any unmasked gatherings, get tested.To find a test site in the area, visit http://www.nwhealth.org/covid19main.html.
- Because many of the symptoms of a cold or flu are similar to COVID-19, you are urged to stay home and avoid contacts if you are not feeling well.
Current statistics
According to recent data published by MDHHS, Michigan’s positivity rate has decreased but remains relatively high at 16.2%, a reflection of our high transmission levels. Cases are at 477 cases per million and have been rising and falling over and over, but at an elevated level. This is a number we expect to rise as the Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly. Over the past month, 30- to 39-year-olds were experiencing the highest case rate and there were increases in hospital admissions among most age groups under 50. The percent of inpatient hospital beds occupied by individuals with COVID is now at 20.8%. This number has been increasing for 22 weeks and the mortality rate is high too – from Dec. 3-9, there were 756 COVID deaths.
Risks for the unvaccinated
Statewide data from the month of October showed unvaccinated people had 4.3 times the risk of testing positive for COVID-19 and 13.2 times the risk of dying from COVID-19 than people who were fully vaccinated. From Jan. 3-Dec. 15, 2021, people who were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated represented 85.1% of COVID-19 cases, 88.1% of hospitalizations and 85.5% of deaths.
Stay up to date on the latest information in the Health Department of Northwest Michigan jurisdiction by liking and following our Facebook page and visiting our COVID-19 Data Dashboard. To locate a testing facility, visit the Michigan COVID-19 Test Finder website. To track the risk levels of COVID-19 pandemic indicators, visit the MI Safe Start Map website. For more information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the MDHHS vaccine website or the CDC vaccine website.
