(Source: MIRS.news, Published 05/11/2022). The State Administrative Board approved federal funds Tuesday for 11 county jails to continue COVID-19 testing as new cases continue to rise across the state.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services officials reported 27,705 new cases and 76 deaths from the virus over a seven-day period. The average daily number of cases has risen to 3,958, which is a more than 68% increase in cases since the start of May.
MDHHS spokesperson Lynn Sutfin said the health department was expecting the rise in cases as a subvariant of the Omicron variant, which is more transmissible, washed over the state.
“What happens next depends on the severity of cases during this uptick and who is getting infected,” Sutfin said.
She said If the state saw an increase in reinfections of people who had previously had the virus, younger healthier people, and vaccinated people it was possible hospitalizations and deaths would not see a dramatic increase, such as the one during the winter.
The number of weekly deaths did rise slightly from last weeks from 62 to 76. However, average weekly deaths has been around 70 since mid-March.
The health department continued to urge anyone not vaccinated to get their shot and continue to follow COVID-19 protocol.
The state COVID Vaccine Dashboard showed, as of Tuesday, 67.1% of Michiganders had received at least one dose of vaccine. It also showed 60.7% of Michiganders are considered fully vaccinated, which includes one booster.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive, encouraged Michiganders to have a COVID-19 plan, which includes having masks and talking to your doctor about treatments in case you are infected.
“We recommend Michiganders test if they have symptoms or if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, and stay home if they are ill,” Bagdasarian said.
Michigan is still in a post-surge recovery, with only Grand Traverse County showing a high rate of community transmission.
“We are closely watching the numbers and will keep the public updated if the situation changes,” Sutfin said.
