The Allegan County Health Department reported Friday that six more patients have died from the Covid-19 virus over the past week, bringing the total since mid-December to 53.

A total of 296 Covid-related deaths have been reported in the county since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The daily average of new Covid cases over seven days now is 130.9, up only slightly since the week before, but significantly greater than Dec. 29 when the daily average was 51.1.

The rate of positivity in testing now is 25.6 percent, a leap from the previous week and well above the 3% health officials have cited as manageable

Total hospitalizations since March 2020 are pegged at 413, two more than on Jan. 7, and there have been 22,493 cases reported since the pandemic began. The most recent jump in number of cases can be attributed to the new Omicron variant, which much more highly contagious than others, such as Delta.

With the spread increasing rapidly last week, the Martin schoo, district and Wayland High School called off in-person instruction, in Wayland until Tuesday, Jan. 18, and in Martin all of next week.

A total of 19,371 people have been identified officially as recovered.

In Allegan County, it has been reported that an estimated 79.1% of COVID-19 hospitalizations are among unvaccinated individuals.