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Spectrum Health reports all-time high test positivity rates

The hospital system's single-day test positivity rate is at about 38%, and the seven-day average test positivity rate is at about 32%.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The average number of cases per day for last Thursday, Dec. 30 through Monday, Jan. 3 was 12,247 cases per day. Hospitalizations are up more than 7% from a week ago, and 3,600 adults are hospitalized in Michigan with COVID-19. 

Spectrum Health is reporting two new all-time highs. The hospital system's single-day test positivity rate is at about 38%, and the seven-day average test positivity rate is at about 32%.

"We believe what were seeing is that the omicron variant is here in West Michigan and spreading rapidly," said Senior Vice President of Hospital Operations Chad Tuttle. 

He says while hospitalizations aren't at their peak currently, the number of COVID-19 patients at the hospital has plateaued at around 375 patients lately.

"The good news is that number isn't going up at the moment, but the unfortunate news is it's not going down," Tuttle says. 

What is increasing is the rate of Spectrum Health team members catching COVID-19. Tuttle says between 60 and 90 staffers a day test positive and go into quarantine. Right now, 67 employees have COVID-19 and there's about 500 Spectrum Health team members in quarantine. 

That's why Tuttle says he's grateful the U.S. Department of Defense medical team is sticking around for another month. 

"It's been a real morale boost for our team to work with them," he says.

Over at Mercy Health Muskegon, a federal team of 15 doctors, nurses and medics are just getting started.

RELATED: U.S. Air Force medical team providing relief for staff at Mercy Health Muskegon

"We truly owe them a debt of gratitude for their service," Chief Medical Officer Dr. Justin Grill says.

Currently, about 50 people are in the hospital with COVID-19 in Muskegon, and the facility is at about 75% occupancy. Dr. Grill says their concern now is the spread of the omicron variant, especially with holiday gatherings now over.

"We know that (omicron is) significantly contagious," he says. "That's going to cause significant spreading, and we have schools opening up and people going back to work," Dr. Grill says. "We could see another spike in January as a result of all of these things coming together."

The hospital is also facing a staffing shortage.

"On the other end, we've seen, and as have other hospitals, staff leaving for higher paying travel jobs, so the combination of increased census and decreased number of staff came together to create a crisis," Dr. Grill says. 

Both Tuttle and Dr. Grill say that vaccinations will help return the federal troops home and keep our hospitals from filling up for yet another surge.

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