DETROIT, MI (MPRN)— Faced with the prospect of another surge of COVID-19 infections from the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, Michigan health officials are worried the state’s health infrastructure could collapse.
Hospitalizations from a prolonged fourth wave have only recently started to drop; now there’s a good chance they could rise as Omicron becomes the dominant strain.
Director of the State Health Department Elizabeth Hertel says the situation in Michigan’s hospitals is critical.
“Now our local hospitals are struggling again to handle their usual load of non COVID Patients Plus COVID positive patients, the vast majority of whom are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated, this surge is severe COVID-19 visits and longer hospitalizations is pushing our system and our health care workers to the brink,” she says.
Governor Whitmer urged everyone who has been vaccinated to get the recommended booster shot, and asked those who have not yet been vaccinated to please reconsider.
This year roughly 86 percent of deaths from COVID-19 have been from people who were partially or fully unvaccinated.
Still, no new regulations are coming from the state to mitigate the spread of the disease.
President Joe Biden announced Tuesday he is sending federal emergency medical teams to Michigan and delivering free COVID testing kits by mail.