The only Coronavirus statistic that can fall into the negative column now in Allegan County is the continuing increase in the death toll.
Three more fatalities associated with Covid-19 were reported in the past week, bringing the total since the pandemic began more than 14 weeks ago to 145. Six deaths in the county have been reported in the past two weeks.
Yet the daily average of cases over the past seven days has fallen to 12.3, down from a high this year of 76 from April 19. Furthermore, the disease positivity rate in the cases over the past weeks has fallen to 10.2%.
Hospitalizations are at 246 and the number of Covid cases discovered in the more than 14 months in Allegan County now is 11,073. A total of 10,229 patients have been reported to have recovered from the virus.
Optimism has become so strong that all three local school districts, Hopkins, Martin and Waylandf, have announced they intend to start the 2021-22 academic year will fully in-person classroom instruction.
Martin students have attended all-day every day sessions during the past year and Hopkins has been going in-classroom for four days a week, with Wednesdays reserved for virtual learning. Wayland tried to go to classroom instruction in February, but by April it was back on the hybrid plan.
The hybrid involves half of the student body attend in-person classes Mondays and Thursday, the other half Tuesdays and Fridays and Wednesdays set aside for virtual instruction.
