Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urged Michigan residents Tuesday to get vaccinated or boosted against COVID-19 as the state braces for expected increased transmission with the arrival of the omicron variant.
As of Tuesday, eight cases of the highly contagious variant have been identified in Genesee, Kent, Macomb, Washtenaw, Wayne and Oakland counties, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Tuesday's press conference in Grand Rapids marked Whitmer's first time participating in one of the state's COVID briefings since June, and her participation in part was spurred by the unknown threat of omicron in Michigan.
"We see it moving fast so please act fast moving forward," Whitmer said of the variant. "We're in for a tough four to six weeks because of omicron."
About 2.1 million eligible individuals have received a booster, including 64% of eligible seniors, Whitmer said. More than 56% of Michigan residents are fully vaccinated.
Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel noted between Jan. 15 and Dec. 3, unvaccinated individuals accounted for 85% of COVID cases, 88% of hospitalizations and 88.5% of deaths.
"Please, right now, take action," Whitmer said. "We all want this to be behind us. Since March 2020, we have been facing and fighting this virus. And it feels like we take two steps forward, one step back and every one of us is tired of it."
But Whitmer said there was still hope on the horizon in the form of therapeutics and the potential approval of the Pfizer COVID pill.
In the meantime, Whitmer and Hertel urged people to get vaccinated or boosted, wear a mask in indoor public places or outdoor crowded locations, to get tested before and after events, to stay home if sick and to check therapeutic options if one contracts COVID-19.
"One person's decision has the potential to affect everyone around them," Hertel said.
When asked whether she'd put any mandates or health orders in place to slow the spread, Whitmer said vaccines were the best tool and those remaining unvaccinated people likely wouldn't respond to mandates.
"Sweeping mandates are less likely to influence and encourage that population to get vaccinated," Whitmer said. "That's why it's an education effort."
On Monday, the state added nearly 14,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to the state total from over a three-day span — Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It also reported 160 deaths during that window, 63 of which were identified during a vital records review.
Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, the state has tallied 1.4 million confirmed cases and nearly 26,000 deaths.
Last week, Hertel told The Detroit News that Michigan potentially had hit a plateau after six months of rising case rates. But it's unclear what effect the holidays or omicron will have on the state's numbers.
As of Monday, the state health department reported 3,896 adults were hospitalized, down from a pandemic high of 4,518 exactly one week ago.
Additionally, last week, the weekly percentage of COVID tests bringing positive results dropped 2.5 percentage points to 17.1%. Hertel said the state's current positivity rate stands at about 16.2%.
But Whitmer was hesitant to call the decreases long-lasting.
"I just don't think we can take any solace in a somewhat downtrend," Whitmer said. "It's a good development but I don't think it's indicative of a trend. We can't make that assumption."
Hertel said the state expects its cases per million people "to rise and rise very rapidly with the omicron variant."
Hertel noted the state had utilized federal resources in terms of additional medical equipment, ventilators and personnel, but those resources may not be lasting.
"If the strain on hospitals increases, we are unsure of any additional federal resources that are available at this time," Hertel said.
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