GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — No one could have imagined that after two years we'd still be in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we mark this 2-year anniversary of the first case in Michigan, it's with a sense of hope that the pandemic may finally be turning a corner.
Health officials across the state feel a sense of optimism but are still reminding people that COVID hasn't disappeared.
Alison Clark, public information officer for the Ottawa County Health Department, says the goals have shifted now and that we are in a much better place.
Just two months ago, we were still in the midst of the latest surge with the omicron variant running rampant causing cases to rise and hospitalizations to skyrocket.
Now, hospital capacity is good, plus case rates and test positivity continues to decline.
Ottawa County, for example, is in the low category for COVID-19 community levels under the CDC's revised measures.
The county health department says while more variants may appear in the future, we are now in a better position to handle it, and avoid dramatic restrictions.
"The goals have shifted," Clark said. "So instead of just primarily focusing on preventing infections, now we're trying to prevent severe outcomes, make sure that we preserve healthcare capacity and critical infrastructure like schools and businesses being able to be open. And we are in a much better position now to be able to do that than we were two years ago because we have treatment options available."
While these are positive signs, health officials warn people it's not time to ditch those masks just yet.
Children under the age of 5 are not vaccinated and those with compromised immune systems are still at risk.
With all that said, health officials are still recommending the vaccine as a safe and effective way to prevent severe illness.
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