WVBI COVID-19 Update for February 19, 2021

Michigan restaurant and bar owners were in Lansing yesterday testifying about the impact of the state’s continue limits on their businesses. Republicans and at least one Democrat in the legislature have called on the governor to ease the restrictions which they say are killing the industry.  The governor says her restrictions saved 2,000 lives since the were imposed in November, but the businesses dispute the causal relationship saying that they can operate safely. Meantime, the owner of an advertising and broadcasting company has put up a billboard in Indiana just south of the state line congratulating the governor as Indiana Businessperson of the year. In response, Governor Whitmer says she is working to provide aide to businesses that have been hurt by the restrictions—and that the results of the restrictions on health speak for themselves.

 

State had another good COVID-19 data report yesterday in terms of trends. There were 888 new cases and 14 new deaths in the report. It also had 72 reclassified deaths. Seven-day running average for new cases is 845. For deaths, the average is 32 a day–with reclassifications included. In the eight-county region we’ve followed from the start, there were 14 new cases and no deaths. Charlevoix had no new cases. The single death was in Grand Traverse. Seven day running averages for our region are 14 new cases a day and one death. 

 

Statewide there are now 37,976 active cases—down by 850. Our region has 827—down by 17. 

 

Positivity rates shown on the state’s Safe Start dashboard continue to move in the right direction. Statewide rate is at 3.4%, down a tenth.  It’s 3.4% in our safe start zone, too. That’s down two tenths. And the rate in Charlevoix county is up three tenths to 1.8%. The C-D-C target is 3% or less.  New case per million rates continue on a steady slope down.

Overall hospital occupancy rates continue to look good both statewide and in our safe start zone—essentially normal.  Statewide, 3.7% of available beds are occupied with COVID-19 patients. For I-C-U beds, COVID occupancy is 6.7%.  There are no COVID-19 patients at Munson in Charlevoix and four at McLaren in Petoskey—all in their I-C-U. That’s down four patients.

 

On the island, no new tests.  No tests pending. No new positives since December 7^th.

Complete data for our region plus summaries for the state, the T-C safe start zone and the U-P are in today’s script online.

 

Data from February 18, 2021