KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Kent County is seeing a decline in COVID-19 cases each day. Monday, there were 13 new cases, down from 19 the previous day. The challenge is now to keep those numbers down as the area enters into the summer months.
"At this point, we still want to make sure that people understand that as long as there's cases in our community, there's risk for transmission," said Brian Hatl, the supervising epidemiologist for the Kent County Health Department.
Hartl says for much of the pandemic, West Michigan's cases peaked at a later time than the rest of the state. Now, Kent County seems to have caught up, and both are in a decline.
However, as retail stores, restaurants, salons and more start to reopen, it's important to remain vigilant about wearing masks in public and keeping distant from other people.
"I think that as we're seeing these numbers come down, people start to think that it's not as big of a risk to be out in the community without taking these precautions," said Hartl. "They're more comfortable getting together with folks, maybe not as likely to wear a mask when they're out in public. So, I think that complacency is our biggest enemy."
Testing has also increased greatly across the state. Hartl said that's a positive sign the transmission of the virus is declining, as more testing shows fewer cases.
The slower peak in West Michigan may have been a heads-up for local hospitals taking care of COVID-19 patients.
"We had a lot more time to prepare here than facilities in Southeast Michigan, where they were kind of hit hard and hit early, and their numbers went up really fast," said Hartl. "Their hospitals were pretty overwhelmed at that point. We never really got to that phase."
Hartl said it's still too early to tell how large gatherings of protesters will affect the number of cases in Kent County, if at all.
"The incubation period of the viruses is up to 14 days," said Hartl, "By looking at our numbers right now, we don't see that much of an impact. But we're still we're still taking a look at that."
The governor has re-allowed small gatherings of people, as more restrictions ease. As tempting as it may be to return to a previous normal, Hartl says still take precaution when visiting with friends and family.
"We want people to see each other," said Hartl, "but we really want people to maintain precautions. I know it's hard to not hug someone after not seeing them for so long. But until we see that number at zero for consistent days, then we want to make sure that people are still protecting themselves and others."
More stories on 13 ON YOUR SIDE:
RELATED VIDEO:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.