Allegan, Genesee, Kent and Ottawa counties now are among 25 Michigan counties with an average positivity rate of 15% or higher on Covid-19 tests in the last seven days.
Of Michigan’s 83 counties, 59 are now above a 10% positivity rate and 79 are above 5% over a seven-day average. The 5 percent is the benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization to safely reopen schools and the economy.
Allegan County Health Department reported three more Covid deaths, bringing the total to 16 since the pandemic began in March. The total number of cases has jumped to 2,824, about 300 more than last Friday, with 636 being monitored currently and 1,126 patients recovered.
Michigan now has a 13.3% seven-day average positivity rate on coronavirus tests, up almost four points from 9.5% a week ago.
Kristin Nesbit of Wayland, an area emergency room nurse, posted Monday afternoon on Facebook, “If you don’t have life threatening problems expect to wait four hours (or more!) in the waiting room with Covid patients. Nowhere to put people. Stay home. If you think you have Covid call your doctor. Get tested outpatient. If you think you have Covid and you can’t breathe on your own, then come in.”
The positivity rate is a metric used by the Michigan Department of Heath and Human Services to determine coronavirus risk levels. The scale used by health department’s, including Allegan’s is level E for most at risk (20 percent or higher), through A, least at risk (3 to 7%).
Allegan and Barry counties are now regarded as Level D.
Wayland Union Schools today started its second tri-mester with a plan to implement an Enhanced Hyrbid model, which would gradually phase in moving to more in-person classroom instruction. However, in order to move toward five days per week in person, the district first must be moved to Level C by the health department.
