In an update to local media, Dr. Annette Mercatante, Medical Health Officer of the St. Clair County Health Department, expressed concern over the current number of COVID-19 cases in the county and the inevitable consequences for the community.
After seeing a plateau of cases during the summer months, Dr. Mercatante said it is now clear that the plateau is over, and we are experiencing another surge. As of November 17th, there were 2, 805 active cases of COVID-19 in St. Clair County.
The case surge is especially concerning with Thanksgiving approaching and the start of flu season in Southeast Michigan. Today, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services alerted the public to an outbreak of influenza (H3N2) at University of Michigan where 525 cases among students is being investigated.
MDHHS is urging Michiganders to get their flu vaccine to reduce the possibility that our communities will face a surge of both flu and COVID-19 at the same time.
Dr. Mercatante encourages people to consider extra safety measures for holiday gatherings. If people decide to gather, they should make sure guests are vaccinated, and consider having visitors do a rapid COVID-19 test 48 – 72 hours before the event if anyone in the family is at high-risk for serious disease or complications.
“This is another holiday where we should be very careful, and hopefully next year we won’t have to be,” said Dr. Mercatante.
COVID-19 booster shots are available for a variety of people based on health status, age, or working environments. Find out if you are eligible <HERE>:
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
