At St. Joseph County and South Bend’s biweekly COVID-19 update Friday afternoon, South Bend Mayor James Mueller said officials feel that spring is on the way.
“It seems brighter, the weather’s warmer," Mueller said. "That’s both in terms of the actual weather, but also in terms of where we are in this pandemic.”
For the first time in almost a year, the county had no new COVID-19 cases in long-term care facilities this week. February also had the county’s lowest number of deaths since August and the third-lowest monthly total since the pandemic began last March.
However, county data shows a slight increase in new cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks. Deputy County Health Officer Dr. Mark Fox said about 35 percent of the county’s cases over the last couple weeks have come from college-age students.
Fox said the county is expecting a “significant” increase in vaccine doses in the coming week, especially if the Johnson & Johnson vaccine receives federal approval. He said that means more appointments opening up in the state registry and he encouraged eligible citizens to check the site often for new appointment dates.
You can watch the full briefing on the City of South Bend's Facebook page.
Contact Gemma atgdicarlo@wvpe.orgor follow her on Twitter at@gemma_dicarlo.
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