GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Kent County Health Department and area hospitals are once again asking residents to stay home for the upcoming holidays.
With Christmas and New Years quickly approaching, health officials fear travel could lead to an influx in positive COVID-19 cases.
“We are making progress, but need to work together to continue to reduce the positivity rate and to reduce the spread and the strain on our hospitals and health care workers,” said Darryl Elmouchi, MD, president of Spectrum Health West Michigan. “We will continue to move this in the right direction by not traveling or gathering with people outside our immediate family.”
According to a release from the Heath Department, Kent County has surpassed 35,800 total cases, with a 14.7% positivity rate in the last seven days. Recently, the county has been seeing more than 500 new coronavirus cases each day.
“Residents helped a lot by celebrating Thanksgiving with only people inside of their immediate households,” said Hyung Kim, MD, president of Mercy Health Saint Mary's. “Since infection rates, hospitalizations and mortality are still high, I hope people will stay strong in the upcoming holidays and avoid gathering with people outside their immediate households. We are far from being in the clear from COVID.”
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