GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Kent County Health Department is raising awareness for the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases seen in recent days.
They say daily cases in the county have increased from 75 to over 100 in the past week, with 178 cases reported on Wednesday, March 17. We’re told the positivity rate in Kent County, previously at 4% for two months, has since grown to 5.4%.
“It is critically important for everyone to remember that the arrival of coronavirus variants and prematurely relaxed attitudes about COVID-19 put our community in grave danger of a resurgence in cases and deaths,” says Dr. Adam London, administrative health officer at the Kent County Health Department. “We do not want to see anyone else lose their life, especially when we are so near to the end of this pandemic.”
London says more than 650 Kent County residents have died from COVID-19.
County health officials encourage residents to continue practicing coronavirus mitigation strategies, such as wearing masks, washing hands frequently, avoiding large gatherings and staying home if feeling ill.
They also ask that residents receive the vaccine once doses become available, adding that more than 28 percent of residents have received at least one dose, including roughly 70 percent of individuals aged 65 and up.
Click here to pre-register at one of a multitude of clinics throughout the area.