3/30/21: Kalamazoo averaging 100 new infections per day

Kalamazoo County: New COVID-19 infections rose substantially over the weekend in Kalamazoo County.

As of Monday, the county was averaging more than 100 new cases per day. That’s a jump of more than 20 new cases per day compared to Friday.

County health officials reported 286 new cases of COVID-19 over the course of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. That caused the seven day moving average to spike to 101 cases per day.

The county’s positivity rate increased as well. On Sunday, the average positivity rate stood at 13.7%. That’s the highest it’s been since mid-November. On Saturday, officials reported that 17.58% of coronavirus tests conducted in the county returned positive results – the highest rate since May of last year.

Hospitalizations are also on the rise. Bronson Methodist Hospital saw a 48% increase in its COVID-19 patients over the weekend. On Monday, the hospital was treating 43 people for the coronavirus, putting it at 91% capacity.

Kalamazoo’s other hospital, Ascension Borgess Hospital, was treating 23 coronavirus patients and was operating at 82% capacity.

The only stat to not see much change was the county’s COVID-19 death rate. There were no new deaths over the weekend, and the county is currently averaging 0.3 deaths per day over the past week.

Michigan: The state saw a surge of new coronavirus cases over the weekend as well.

State health officials reported 8,202 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and Monday. That caused the seven day average to jump to 4,451 new cases per day – nearly 500 more than on Friday.

Despite the rising case numbers, the state reported only eight new deaths from the coronavirus over the two-day period. The seven day average stayed stable at 18.7 deaths per day.

Hospitalizations rose significantly over the weekend. On Monday, the state reported that 2,320 people were being treated for COVID-19 in the state. That’s nearly 400 more patients than on Friday.

Vaccines: Governor Gretchen Whitmer is urging as many people as possible to get vaccinate as new COVID-19 infections soar throughout the state.

During an interview with Crain’s Detroit Business on Monday, the governor urged vaccine providers to vaccinate anyone they can.

“We are encouraging providers of the vaccine to fill every slot even if they don’t have someone in the priority groups right now,” she said. “Because the quicker we can get to that 70 percent-plus [vaccinated] number, the better for every one of us.”

The state’s priority guidelines say anyone age 50 and older, and anyone 16 and older with a medical condition can be vaccinated. Leaders have announced that vaccine eligibility will be opened up to anyone age 16 and older beginning next week.