GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The spread of COVID-19 seems to be slowing down in Kent County, with lower numbers of positive cases and the county’s death rate, according to the Kent County Health Department.
“We’re currently reporting 6,919 diagnosed cases,” said Adam London, director of the Kent County Health Department.
“We’re seeing an average of 36 new cases reported every day over the last week," London said. "So, that number has come down a bit. Last week, I was seeing about 50 cases per week, so this is a good sign."
London released the encouraging numbers on case counts and news of a possible vaccine via social media Wednesday, saying the county sits at 6,919 diagnosed cases of COVID-19, with 5,598 recoveries. 153 people have died from the virus. London says the mortality rate is also dropping as well as the percentage of tests that come back positive.
“We are at 2.2 percent (tests that come back positive) over the past week in that rate,” London said. “However, it’s a concern on what is happening on the other side of the state. Metro Detroit is seeing positivity rates range between 4.5 percent to 7 percent. That’s concerning because of the potential that has to influence the rest of the state.”
London says hope is at the end of the tunnel after the U.S. announced it is ordering 100 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, now in Phase 3 of its trials. London says he’s hopefully optimistic despite uncertainty surrounding the upcoming school year and the coming change in seasons.
“Many viruses have a seasonal effectiveness, where they are more effective at transmitting during times of the year. With COVID-19, we don’t know how this epidemic will look season over season.”
Michigan mandates require students to wear masks from 6th grade and up. However, the health department says they think students of all ages should wear a mask for the health and safety of everyone.
“The other thing that is concerning is the reopening of schools,” London said. “So we do recommend that everyone wear a mask at school as much as possible.”
London ended his message by asking families to seriously think about remote learning as an option for their children if they’re unable to wear masks due to medical reasons.
You can stay updated by following the Kent County Health Department on Facebook.
