NUMBERS POINT TO NO HOLIDAY SURGE
New cases decline over last two weeks; Mclaren vaccinations start
A dreaded Thanksgiving surge in COVID-19 cases appears to have not materialized, as new case numbers decline in Isabella, Gratiot counties.
A second healthcare network with medical centers in mid-michigan began vaccinating its employees on Friday
New cases have declined over the last two weeks in Isabella County, according to Central Michigan District Health Department records. The highest seven-day number of new cases in November and early December was 334, for the seven days preceding Nov. 12.
On Wednesday, the most recent release of the health department’s data sheet, the number of new cases in the seven preceding days was just 211. Two weeks prior to that, Dec. 2, an additional 303 new cases were reported in the seven previous days.
Because new cases have shown up anywhere within five days to two weeks after an exposure, this suggests that no surge in cases related to Thanksgiving celebrations happened. In fact, Isabella County is part of a statewide decline in new cases.
This data, however, is preliminary. New cases are assigned dates based on the onset of symptoms and not the date of a positive test result. So, that number could in reality be higher, but it is unlikely to change by an additional 100 cases.
An additional 43 cases were reported Friday in Isabella County for a cumulative total of 2,858. Another death associated with a nursing home was reported in the county on Friday, bringing its total to 36.
The person who died was an elderly man with pre-existing conditions and who lived at Medilodge of Mt. Pleasant, said Steve Hall, CMDHD health officer. Seven residents of Medilodge have died in an outbreak that has left almost 90 people infected, replacing North Woods Nursing Center, of Farwell, as the largest nursing home outbreak in mid-michigan.
A total of 64 residents and 26 staff have tested positive, although some of those were before the outbreak. first reported in November. One of those cases reported before the current outbreak involved an elderly woman who was reported to have died from COVID-19 in early April, an eighth resident to have died from the disease.
Isabella County’s primary healthcare network began vaccinating its employees Friday. Mclaren- Central Michigan has partnered with Walgreen’s for its vaccination program.
The county’s first vaccinations took place this week, with Midmichigan Health-mt. Pleasant conducting an employee vaccination clinic on Thursday.
Both providers have received doses of the vaccine less than a week after emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
As in Isabella County, state records show a decrease in new cases in Gratiot County. An additional 215 new cases were reported in the seven days preceding Dec. 2. On Wednesday, the state reported an additional 119 new cases confirmed over the previous seven days. Like Isabella County, this data is provisional and likely to change somewhat.
An additional 35 cases were reported on Friday in Gratiot County for a cumulative total of 2,033.
No new deaths were reported, but information was released on five deaths of Gratiot residents. Three involved women — one in her 40s, one in her 80s and one in her 90s — and two men, one in his 60s and one in his 90s, said Leslie Kinnee, spokeswoman for MidMichigan District Health Department. Those deaths were reported earlier this week by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
While new cases don’t point to a Thanksgiving surge in Clare County, they also don’t point to a signif
icant decline, either.
On Wednesday, CMDHD reported an additional 98 cases the previous seven days in Clare County. Two weeks ago, 109 new cases were reported the seven days prior to Dec. 2. On Dec. 9, cases the previous seven days were actually higher at 115. That is tied for the seven days preceding Nov. 25 as the highest seven- day totals in Clare County for November and early December.
An additional 22 cases were reported Friday, for a cumulative total of 982. A total of 29 Clare County residents have died from COVID-19.
Elsewhere in mid-michigan, two new deaths were reported in two counties, with totals and cumulative cases as follows:
• In Gladwin County, an additional two deaths were reported for a total of 22, and an additional eight cases were announced for a cumulative total of 952;
• In Midland County, an additional death reported for a total of 35, and an additional 38 cases were announced for a cumulative total of 3,198;
• An additional 38 cases were announced in Montcalm County for a cumulative total of 2,608, with 53 deaths; and,
• An additional 10 cases were reported in Mecosta County for a cumulative total of 1,509, with 12 deaths.
Statewide, another 66 deaths were reported for a total of 11,274, and another 4,180 cases were reported Monday for a cumulative total of 454,956.