{COVID-19]WVBI COVID-19 Update for February 17, 2022

On the COVID-19 data front, nothing new as of this morning from the Health Center.  They have two tests pending. Their tally now has just one person with a positive test in the last two weeks.  Data from the state yesterday looks good overall.  There was a typical after-the-weekend uptick in the new case and death numbers, but nothing to suggest that the overall downward trend is reversing. Seven-day averages are now at 2,195 for new cases and 75 for deaths, including deaths reclassified from prior dates. There were 128 total new cases in our region during the two-day reporting period and three deaths. Three of the new cases were in Charlevoix. The deaths were in Benzie, Emmet and Grand Traverse with one each. Hospital utilization numbers continue to trend in the right direction with overall I-C-U bed occupancy essentially normal. COVID-19 shares are still high, but also still on a downward slope overall.  No change in the numbers at our local hospitals.

 

In the face of the declining numbers, Governor Whitmer’s health team have now dropped their recommendation that everyone wear masks in many indoor settings.  Health Department officials say the state is in a recovery phase now and that they don’t expect a resurgence in infections. Regardless of the reason, the reality was that very few were using masks except in schools where they were mandated.  The state had not changed its masking advice since last June. Officials continue to recommend “all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, continue to practice universal masking in high-risk congregate settings including long-term care facilities, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, jails and health care facilities.”

 

B-I-C-S students are getting ready to set their masks aside tomorrow.  And, none too soon as far as many of them are concerned. With masks being used nowhere else when school started, it baffled some students as to why they were required in school.  Then as omicron descended, the virus spread like wildfire even with the masks. And symptoms were generally mild, if any. The policy adopted by the board says masks can come back if conditions require and they are still highly recommended, but for now the policy says they are needed only if students are working closely together without maintaining social distancing for extended periods.

 

Masking requirements at B-I-C-S were driven by a mandate imposed by our local health department lead by Lisa Peacock.  She’s been under fire for that and other policies adopted by the department during the pandemic. There’s been a run of controversy on the board of the department made up of appointed representatives from the four counties covered by the department—with efforts to remove Peacock, board members resigning or threatening to resign—and contentious meetings. The board had a special meeting earlier this week with most of it in closed session, so it isn’t clear what transpired, but it apparently involved settlement of a dispute involving Peacock. Peacock says she has felt threatened by some members of the board. She wasn’t present at the meeting, but board members said after the closed session that they believed things were on the right path and that the dropping of the mask mandate for schools should cool things down.

 

		Cases	Deaths	Δ Cases	Δ Deaths
Totals	State	2042013	31271	4271	312
	Region	34886	575	128	3
	TVC Zone	58569	1178	201	13
	UP	50150	780	181	9
	Current Report		Averages	7 Day
	2136	156	State	2195	75
	64	2	Region	60	2
	101	7	TVC Zone	100	3
	91	5	UP	82	3
274 deaths were reclassified. There were 38 new deaths.
	County	Cases	Deaths	Δ Cases	Δ Deaths
Region	Antrim	2954	48	12	0
	Benzie	2382	56	13	1
	Charlevoix	2945	45	3	0
	Emmet	4105	69	3	1
	Grand Traverse	13134	185	64	1
	Kalkaska	2937	51	7	0
	Leelanau	2441	42	8	0
	Otsego	3988	79	18	0
Link to data.		Δ Active			Active
		-29280	Est. Active Cases (cases <31 days old)	State	175746
		-484		Region	3519
		-715		TVC Zone	5951
Days:	2	-1030		UP	5374
Count	28

 

 

Statewide Hospital Capacity Report COVID-19 2/16/2022*											WVBI Analysis
Region	All Hospital Beds	All Adult Hospital Beds	All Hospital Inpatient Beds	All Hospital Inpatient Bed Occupancy	Adult Hospital Inpatient Beds	Adult Hosp Inpatient Bed Occupancy	All Inpatient Pediatric Beds	Pediatric Inpatient Bed Occupancy	ICU Beds	ICU Bed Occupancy	Hospital Inpatient Bed Occupancy Change	Hospital Inpatient Bed Occupancy Rate %	Hospital Inpatient Bed Occupancy% Change	ICU Bed Occupancy Change	ICU Bed Occupancy Rate	ICU Bed Occupancy % Change	Pediatric Occupancy Change	Pediatric Occupancy Rate	Pediatric  Bed Occupancy % Change
Region 1	1807	1682	1518	1244	1419	1166	75	41	202	138	-4	81.9%	-0.9%	104	68.3%	-4.18%	-7	54.7%	9.33%
Region 2N	6423	6114	5664	4528	5352	4312	110	50	600	432	186	79.9%	3.1%	401	72.0%	1.93%	13	45.5%	17.27%
Region 2S	7960	7096	6840	5774	5976	5058	512	398	976	762	204	84.4%	2.8%	414	78.1%	0.68%	9	77.7%	9.50%
Region 3	2927	2814	2556	2181	2423	2094	58	23	391	298	72	85.3%	2.5%	283	76.2%	-5.39%	-17	39.7%	11.88%
Region 5	1745	1682	1325	1084	1299	1065	26	19	182	137	21	81.8%	5.6%	114	75.3%	6.35%	15	73.1%	9.19%
Region 6	3310	2760	2827	2358	2455	2034	251	197	412	347	174	83.4%	5.1%	175	84.2%	1.96%	13	78.5%	10.23%
Region 7	941	890	807	629	765	610	20	9	157	130	19	77.9%	1.2%	125	82.8%	-1.71%	-1	45.0%	20.00%
Region 8	752	734	543	346	522	327	0	0	82	57	48	63.7%	8.8%	57	69.5%	8.54%	7	#DIV/0!	#DIV/0!
Totals	25865	23772	22080	18144	20211	16666	1052	737	3002	2301	720	82.2%	3.1%	1,673	76.6%	0.43%	32	70.1%	10.70%
												Reg. Bed			ICU Bed
*Data is preliminary and subject to change.												12.0%	<–COVID-19–>		17.0%
											Munson	0	0		0	0	Munson Healthcare Charlevoix Hospital
											McLaren	16	0		0	0	McLaren Northern Michigan – Petoskey