The Allegan County Health Department Friday reported the first two Coronavirus-related deaths in more than six weeks.
The death toll in the county stood at 118 for a long time before two were added.
The number of cases have been pegged at 8,911 since the Covid-19 pandemic began in March 2020. Deaths totaled less than 10 until last fall when a second surge of the virus was announced. The most recent surge has resulted in soaring number of cases, this time largely in younger people.
A total of 206 county residents have been reported to have been hospitalized with Covid, 10 within the last two weeks. The seven-day daily average number of new cases has skyrocketed from 7.7 on Feb. 21 to more than 61 as of Friday.
Positivity rates in testing has been reported at 14 percent, with 27,225 tests conducted in more than a year.
Michigan now is the No. 1 hot spot for Covid in the nation and health officials believe the highly contagious variant from the United Kingdom is playing a role in the surge.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Friday morning asked, but did not order schools to go to all-virtual learning and pause spring sports activities. Hopkins Public Schools decided not to follow the recommendations Friday afternoon and Wayland Board of Education members are having a special meeting today to consider options.
