County COVID Count Up Nearly 300%

Increased cases impacting capacity to respond 
 
​From our friends at DHD#10:

October 21, 2020 –District Health Department #10 (DHD#10) reports that positive COVID-19 cases are trending upwards throughout the jurisdiction, jumping significantly over the past two weeks in many of the counties served by DHD#10. This sudden increase is impacting the overall capacity for DHD#10 to respond in a timely manner to begin investigations and contact tracing.  
 
Friday, October 16, saw the largest daily case count since COVID-19 first appeared in March. Every county in DHD#10’s ten-county jurisdiction reported cases totaling 64 positive COVID-19 cases in one day. On Monday, October 19, DHD#10 reported 106 positive cases that included numbers from Saturday, Sunday, and Monday combined – that’s 170 cases in a span of four days. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) did report a slowdown of results from a laboratory on Thursday, October 15, that may have contributed to the large numbers on Friday and possibly over the weekend. The capacity to respond quickly to positive cases is significantly impacted when you have such a large number of cases in a short period of time. 
 
“We do our best to respond to positive cases as quickly as possible,” stated Kevin Hughes, Health Officer for DHD#10. “What we are dealing with this week is not only many positive cases, but also a substantially large number of close contacts to each case that must be contacted. For example, one positive case in a school can have upwards of 35 close contacts or more that all must be contacted. We ask for patience and understanding as we adjust staffing and increase our resources to manage our caseload." 
 
Below is a breakdown of confirmed in each county from August, September, and the first 18 days of October. 
 
CONFIRMED CASES        AUG       SEP         OCT        TOTAL % Increase between                                                                                                         month of Aug. and                                                                                                            first 18 days of Oct 

JURISDICTION-WIDE  241             360           486        1087              102%

CRAWFORD                   17                  12             12            41                30% 


KALKASKA                    17                  21             24             62               40% 

LAKE                              13                   6               14            33                8% 

MANISTEE                     20                  26               31           77                55% 

MASON                           22                  13               42           77              110%

MECOSTA                       30                 134             152        316               407% 

MISSAUKEE                       7                  15               14          36               100% 

NEWAYGO                          47                    87               138          272              294% 

OCEANA                            33                  21                41          95               24% 

WEXFORD                          35                 25                18           78              49% 

Now that fall is here, and winter is quickly approaching, many of us will find ourselves spending more time indoors. DHD#10 encourages everyone to continue practicing the necessary mitigation strategies to help keep ourselves, our families, and our communities safe and healthy. Let’s all do our part to help reduce the risk of getting or spreading both COVID-19 and flu this season:  

• Stay at home when you are sick and do your best to keep yourself away from other members of your household. Please do not go to school, work, or events/social gatherings if you are sick. Arrange for groceries and medicine to be delivered to your house when you are sick.  
• If you find out that you are positive for COVID-19, please try to call your close contacts as soon as possible to let them know. An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 48 hours (2 days) before the person has symptoms or tests positive.1 Positive individuals should follow home isolation guidelines and close contacts should follow quarantine guidelines. By choosing to isolate or quarantine, you are protecting the health of others in the community.  
• About 40% of people are asymptomatic (do not have symptoms) but are still capable of spreading the virus. Therefore, it is important for everyone to follow safety protocols as much as possible.  
• Close contacts of confirmed and probable cases might be notified through the Trace Force system which is a statewide system that partners with local health departments. This might take up to a couple of days; therefore if you are told by a family member, friend, co-worker or employer that you may be a close contact, please start quarantining right away, and do not wait for a phone call. Once you receive a phone call, further instructions will be given. 
• If you receive a phone call from local or state health department staff or volunteers, please answer the phone and provide as much information as possible. It is important for us to get information quickly and accurately to reduce the risk of others becoming infected. 
• Refrain from hosting or attending gatherings that do not follow proper spatial distancing, especially if they do not comply with the current epidemic orders. 
• Wear a face covering or mask when you are indoors at a public place or in crowded outdoor areas. Wearing a face covering can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by about 70%. 
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least twenty seconds. 
• Keep a physical distance of 6 feet or more when you are inside or outside. 
• Cover coughs and sneezes; avoid touching your face. 
• Clean/disinfect all “high touch” surfaces every day with household cleaning spray or wipes. 
• Everyone, ages 6 months and above, should get a flu shot this year. It is possible that both COVID-19 and the seasonal flu could be circulating at the same time. 
• If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice. An automated self-checker is also available to help you make decisions and seek appropriate medical care. Also, testing locations can be found by visiting www.michigan.gov/coronavirustest or by calling 211. 

 
For more information on COVID-19, go to www.dhd10.org/coronavirus. You can also send questions to info@dhd10.org.