EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the daily average number of Allegan County residents who are testing positive for COVID-19, which is a pandemic high, at 142.6.
HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Allegan County health officials, pressured earlier this year into loosening COVID-prevention recommendations for area schools, are now strongly recommending people take aggressive action to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The numbers show why. Over the last week, an average of nearly 143 people have tested positive each day — well over Allegan County’s highest daily averages since the pandemic started.
Ottawa County, with a population nearly three times bigger, is seeing fewer than 300 people test positive on a daily basis.
Both counties are in the high-transmission range for COVID-19. The number of sick people are straining people working at schools and hospitals, as well as families. Allegan County’s rate of positive test results is over 21 percent. That includes 187 children under the age of 18, with 14 of those children hospitalized for treatment of severe COVID symptoms. About 80 percent of the Allegan County residents hospitalized have not been vaccinated, according to county records.
Health professionals say they can manage a 2 to 3 percent rate of infection, but higher numbers mean, as Ottawa County Emergency Manager Lou Hunt noted this week, “””””””
Allegan County health officials, responsible for alerting people who have been exposed to the virus and need to be tested and quarantine, are now appealing to people who test positive or have symptoms to alert others directly, so they may take quick action to get tested and limit their exposure to others.
People can use the MI COVID Alert app michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-99891_102592_102594—,00.html to contact multiple people efficiently. Allegan County’s medical director Dr. Richard Tooker says without everyone in the community working together, schools and businesses will be negatively affected by this new surge.
“Without quick and intentional action from the community, people can expect a decrease in the capacity for local hospitals to provide COVID-19 interventions, other emergency services, and routine care for other health concerns,” Tooker said in a statement emailed to the media. “We may see more schools and businesses close due to widespread illness and staff shortages”
Allegan County Health Officer Angelique Joynes, MPH, RN noted the pandemic is distressing everyone, though in different ways.
“I believe we all want to ensure our family and loved ones stay healthy,” she said in the county’s message. “We should assess risk of gathering during this time of thanks and consider actions such as testing, wearing a mask, and other mitigation strategies to reduce risk of exposure to those we care about.”
Allegan County health officials issued this list of tips:
- Vaccinate. If you are unvaccinated, speak with your trusted healthcare provider about the benefits of vaccination. The vaccine is free, safe, and effective, and is available from providers throughout the County. Vaccines are now available for anyone 5 years and older. Boosters are available to anyone 18 years and older, and at least 6 months after their initial doses of Pfizer or Moderna. For those that received J&J, they are eligible at least 2 months after their last dose.
- Mask up. On November 19, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a Public Health Advisory on the use of face masks. With current COVID-19 transmission levels so high, ACHD is urging all individuals to wear a mask indoors, at work, school and anywhere in public when gathered around other people, even if they are vaccinated. Masks provide an additional layer of protection from spreading and contracting the viruses that cause COVID-19 and influenza. This is especially important for individuals who may be infected without symptoms (asymptomatic), or infected but not yet having symptoms (presymptomatic), and who may be unaware of their infectiousness to others.
- Stay home if sick. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, even minor symptoms, or if you think you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, stay home.
- Get Tested. With the holidays coming up, ACHD recommends getting tested before any planned gatherings to help prevent further transmission. There are testing sites throughout Allegan County this week and next.
- Fill out a self-reported form if you test positive for COVID-19. Since public health does not have capacity to complete all case investigations for COVID-19, ACHD prioritizes school age COVID-19 cases and other vulnerable cases for investigations. To help with the timely reporting of cases, ACHD asks community members that test positive to complete the self-reporting information found on the ACHD COVID-19 website.
- Notify close contacts if you test positive for COVID-19. If you are a close contact, follow the recommended quarantine guidance. ACHD allows a shortened quarantine period after day 10 without testing OR after day seven after receiving a negative test result (test must occur on day seven). You can
- Get educated: Visit www.allegancounty.org/covid.
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