LANSING, Mich. — Michigan's COVID-19 surge is trending in a "deeply concerning direction" ahead of the winter holidays and, unlike a year ago, is not subsiding following Thanksgiving.
State health officials delivered that sobering message Friday while urging vaccines and booster shots.
“I strongly urge all Michiganders to number one, get vaccinated, get boosted,” said Chief Health Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian. “Two, wear a well-fitting mask whenever you are in indoor public settings. And three, get tested.”
Infection rates and hospitalizations are at all-time highs 21 months into the pandemic. Vaccination rates lag the national average. Three in four patients hospitalized with the coronavirus are unvaccinated.
"There are pockets and communities that remain holding out on the vaccine," Bagdasarian said. "Those are the communities and the age groups who are most at risk."
She said specific geographic areas of the state are way behind in vaccination, as are age groups. Statewide, only 17.2% of children ages 5 through 11 are vaccinated, and less than half of all Michiganders younger than 30 have received their first dose.
Geographically, rural counties are also seeing lower vaccination rates. Newaygo and Mecosta Counties, which both fall into District Health Department 10 (DHD 10), are at 48.72% and 45.5% respectively.
"We have tried everything," said DHD 10 Medical Director Jennifer Morse. "We've had committees and workgroups and discussions and research trying to figure out how we can get that population vaccinated."
DHD 10 represents 10 counties in total, with 50.5% of residents fully vaccinated.
"I'm at a loss for answers as to how to do that," Morse said. "Unfortunately, I think people are just going to keep getting sick."
State health director Elizabeth Hertel warns the omicron variant may be more transmissible than the delta variant. The first case of the omicron variant in Kent County was detected Thursday.
Health officials say that the individual is fully vaccinated, but did not receive a booster shot. It is reported that the individual is experiencing a "mild illness" from the variant.
The omicron variant was named a Variant of Concern on Nov. 30, which means the variant showed evidence of being more contagious, causing more severe illness or resistance to diagnostics, treatments or vaccines.
Michigan is deploying additional ventilators to hospitals and seeking more from the national stockpile.
To learn more about the omicron variant in Kent County, click here.
Watch the full press conference with health leaders below:
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