The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reported Wednesday that a total of 2,411,464 Michiganders have tested positive for COVID-19 and 35,935 have died from the virus — an additional 10,474 cases and 78 deaths since last week.
COVID-19 vaccines
From people who have lost those they love most in the world to COVID-19 to health care workers once hailed as heroes and now being spit on by patients angry over mask requirements and those known as “essential workers” who made poverty wages while having to endanger their own well-being to work in-person when others were isolating during the stay-home orders, people have dealt with a lot over the past two years.
The weekly COVID-19 testing and vaccine clinics held on Tuesdays at Glen Oaks Community College will be moved to the foyer of Ken Schuler Court (Gymnasium) beginning with the February 1 clinic.
Immunocompromised people can now get 4th COVID shot, but they remain vulnerable.
Due to what Interim Superintendent Nikki Nash called “ongoing community spread of both COVID-19 and other seasonal illnesses,” Three Rivers High School, Middle School, and Hoppin Elementary will temporarily transition to remote learning on Friday.
This week, 211 pre-kindergarten-12 schools are reporting new or ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks. Only halfway through the month, 24 Michigan public schools have closed temporarily or put in place remote learning plans in January due to COVID-19 disruptions, including Ann Arbor Public Schools, Detroit Public School Community District and Flint City School District, according to Burbio, a data service that aggregates calendars nationwide.
Dr. Farhan Bhatti writes, “While breakthrough cases among those who got the Johnson&Johnson vaccine or the two doses of Pfizer or Moderna do happen, make no mistake — this surge is being driven by unvaccinated individuals.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reported Wednesday an additional 15,385 COVID-19 cases and 351 COVID related deaths since Monday.
Members of the community have just two more dates before the holiday closure to take advantage of the COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics at Glen Oaks Community College.
As of Tuesday, 628 pre-kindergarten-12 schools are reporting new or ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in Michigan. Of those, 93 are new outbreaks reported Monday.
St. Joseph County is among the bottom 11 counties in Michigan for full vaccination rates at 43 percent. Leading the pack is Leelanau County in northern Michigan with 72.96 percent.
The last two years have been trying for a number of reasons but the community of Three Rivers still has plenty to be thankful for, and shared those thoughts with Watershed Voice ahead of Turkey Day.
Regulators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted emergency authorization to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, a step that means kid-sized doses can begin shipping to health care providers across the country. The Centers for Disease Control’s panel of vaccine experts is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss guidelines for the vaccine’s use in the younger age group.
The next wave of the massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign could begin as soon as next week, after federal regulators decide if elementary school students across the U.S. should begin rolling up their tiny sleeves.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given a green light to Americans who want to receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by a different company than the one that produced the initial shot they received.
State Rep. Padma Kuppa (D-Troy) writes, “For decades, top-down movements have been sowing the seeds of disinformation, which has created a world where everyday Americans cannot trust facts presented to them. This environment divides us and those who fuel disinformation intend to confuse Americans and pit us against each other. Our democracy is stronger when we work together. Those hellbent on power and control know this well — and use disinformation to push us apart. When we are too busy fighting each other, we fail to notice when bad actors chip away at our freedoms, our rights and our collective power.”
As all Michigan schools have begun 2021-22 classes, the state is reporting school- and sports-related COVID-19 outbreaks on a weekly basis. As of Monday, 413 pre-kindergarten-12 schools and seven universities — Alma College, Central Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Saginaw Valley State University, University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University and Concordia University — are reporting new or ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks.
Glen Oaks Community College is the newest county site for free weekly COVID-19 tests and vaccinations for students, employees and the community beginning Tuesday, Oct. 19.