3/23/21: Hospitalizations rose 20% over the weekend

Michigan: The number of people being treated for COVID-19 in Michigan jumped dramatically over the weekend.

COVID-19 hospitalizations rose more than 20% between last Friday and Monday. The state reported that hospitals in the state were caring for 1,580 coronavirus patients on Monday. That’s 270 more than Friday’s number.

The number of coronavirus infections increased as well. State health officials reported 4,801 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and Monday. That caused the seven day average to rise to 2,719 new cases per day.

At the same time, death numbers remain low – a product of rising vaccination rates in the state. Officials reported just six new deaths on Sunday and Monday, which kept the seven day average of deaths close to where it was on Saturday.

However, the state’s positivity rate is continuing to rise – reaching an average of nearly 8% on Monday. The state reported that 9.62% of COVID tests conducted on Monday returned positive results.

Kalamazoo County: The county’s average positivity rate passed 9% on Monday. The state reported that more than 8% of COVID-19 tests conducted within the county on Monday returned positive results. That pushed the week average to 9.04%.

County officials reported 126 new cases of COVID-19 over the course of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. That caused the seven day average to rise to 58.7 new infections per day. That average has climbed from a low of just 19 new cases per day on February 18.

Despite that, the county has reported no new deaths from the coronavirus in nearly a week. The last death was reported last Tuesday.

Vaccines: As of Sunday, Kalamazoo County was averaging nearly 2,500 vaccinations per day. That number was likely boosted by an unplanned vaccination marathon after a storage freezer broke on Saturday, prompting medical workers to inoculate anyone who showed up to a Kalamazoo clinic.

The state reports that a third of adults in Kalamazoo County have now received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Nearly 19% of adults have now been completely immunized against the virus.

Statewide, nearly 29% of Michigan adults have gotten at least the first dose out of the way. The state has administered nearly 3.6 million doses of vaccine since the first one became available in December.