(Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/09/2022) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that she tested positive for COVID-19 Monday evening after testing negative Monday afternoon. She attended a campaign rally Sunday in Benton Harbor with about 300 people. At the second “Grillin’ with Gretchen" event, she said she heard “directly from Michiganders about their concerns and they share her vision for our state.”
The Governor, who is vaccinated and twice boosted, said she has mild symptoms and will maintain a remote schedule.
“I am grateful for the support of my family, my staff, and the vaccine for offering me robust protection against the virus. I look forward to getting back to work in person, meeting with constituents, and keeping Michigan on the move.
“I encourage my fellow Michiganders to get vaccinated and boosted.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported fewer COVID-19 cases this week after a spike toward the end of July, but with the prevalence of at-home testing those numbers could be off.
MDHHS Spokesperson Lynn Sutfin said the department does not know how many COVID-19 cases are not being reported, but said many people get a confirmation PCR test if they get a positive at-home result.
“We are also monitoring other data sources, including wastewater surveillance and hospitalization data to provide insight into what is going on in the state,” Sutfin said.
The report is that the numbers are dropping in the state after a spike in July from the omicron B.5 variant.
MDHHS reported 16,137 new cases and 137 new deaths over a seven-day period. The daily average of 2,305 was seen in the middle of July, during the upswing of the variant.
The state health department is also asking children and adults to get vaccinated, especially as schools gear up to reopen in the fall. It isn’t just COVID-19 that has doctors worried.
As of Aug. 2, the state health department reported that 67.7% of Michiganders had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with the largest percentage, 84.6%, of those fully vaccinated falling between ages 65 to 74.
