KENTWOOD, Mich. — The spike in COVID-19 cases across Michigan, especially among young people, has health officials concerned. In West Michigan, Spring Break is winding down for thousands of students who will soon return to in-person learning.
"The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 is on the rise. Kent County is now averaging 203 new cases daily compared with approximately 70 per day one month ago and 115 per day last week," said Adam London, Administrative Health Officer at Kent County Health Department. "Rapid testing will help prevent the spread of illness, especially following travel and before students return to in-person learning."
This weekend, The Kent Intermediate School District is holding several pop-up COVID-19 testing sites to help prevent skyrocketing upon their return. The drive-through testing sites will open throughout Kent County from Friday, April 9 through Sunday, April 11 for rapid testing in a collaboration between Kent ISD, local school districts and the Kent County Health Department. The testing will be free and confidential and results will be quickly texted to those who are tested.
"This is really important because we want families and students to feel very safe when they return to in-person," says Joy Walczak, communications specialist for Kent ISD. "All of the schools in the Kent ISD are very concerned and our top priority is the safety of our students, our educators and of course our community. We're doing the testing so that people can feel safer as they return to class.
"We are also strictly enforcing all of our safety standards within our schools. We haven't backed off on any of that. We continue to have the safety standards in place that are set by the Health Department and recommended by the CDC."
Kent County is currently averaging 203 new cases every day. That's compared with roughly 70 cases per day a month ago. Statewide, active outbreaks are up 14% over last week, and school outbreaks have also increased in all grade levels.
"You know, we have been very closely monitoring those numbers and working side by side with the health department, both at the state level and the county level. So, we are following their lead and instructions every step of the way, in every classroom across Kent County," says Walczak.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is concerned that "students and families traveling across Michigan, to other states, or out of the country risk bringing COVID-19 with them. This in turn may fuel outbreaks within their households and the communities they visit, and reintroducing COVID-19 to the community when they return."
Walczak strongly urges anyone who may have had increased exposure to take advantage of the testing sites. Dates, times and locations are listed below:
•Friday, April 9, Noon – 7:00 p.m.
East Kentwood High School
6230 Kalamazoo Ave SE, Kentwood, MI 49508
•Saturday, April 10, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Kent ISD Main Campus, Parking Lot #11
2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids MI, 49525
•Sunday, April 11, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Kent ISD Main Campus, Parking Lot #11
2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids MI, 49525
•Sunday, April 11, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Grandville High School
4700 Canal Ave SW, Grandville, MI 49418
•Sunday, April 11, 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Sparta High School
475 West Spartan Drive, Sparta, MI 49345
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