Berrien County Health Officials gave their weekly update on the county’s COVID-19 pandemic Thursday, Jan. 14.
Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten said after a period of decline, new daily cases have begun to creep up, and new hospitalizations have plateaued.
“It’s hard to say whether that means we’re on a true upward trajectory, but this is a really important reminder that these numbers are fragile,” Britten said.
Meanwhile, the county opened vaccination appointments to adults over age 65 this week. But Britten said demand for the vaccine still far outweighs supply.
“Right now, we have 14,000 people, [age] 65-plus, who are on our waitlist," she said. "So it’s going to take a little bit of time for us to be able to work through that.”
Still, she encouraged those eligible for the vaccine to sign up for the waitlist.
Britten also reminded Michiganders of the state’s new epidemic orders: indoor activities that can accommodate masking and distancing – like group exercise and no-contact sports – can resume.
Those orders go into effect Jan. 16, and will expire at the end of the month. Indoor dining is not included in the order, but changes on that front may be coming Feb. 1.
Contact Gemma atgdicarlo@wvpe.orgor follow her on Twitter at@gemma_dicarlo.
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