MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – As patients continue to die of COVID in Muskegon County, the public health director is frustrated by the lack of a vaccine.
Public Health Muskegon County did not receive any additional doses of the vaccine this week, Kathy Moore told MLive. She had requested nearly 1,700, she said.
Moore, the county public health officer, said she was grateful for Mercy Health to share 200 doses of its supply to help vaccinate residents over 80. In addition, Mercy has agreed to open 200 vacancies in its vaccination schedule for people aged 75 and over, she said.
Mercy is vaccinating its healthcare professionals with its own vaccine stock.
But this is far below the demand for the vaccine. On Thursday, January 14, 14,375 people aged 65 and over filled out an online form for those seeking vaccines, according to data from the health department.
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The county planned to ask the state for 4,900 doses for the next week, and could schedule “small” vaccination clinics if they come, Moore said.
Meanwhile, at least four other people died of COVID in Muskegon County over the past week, according to data from the state of Michigan. He puts the total number of deaths at 271 on Wednesday, with another six “likely” deaths from COVID.
Cumulative COVID cases in the county totaled 9,719 on Wednesday, January 13, according to the state. This is an increase of 223 over the previous week.
There were 42 COVID patients hospitalized at Mercy Health in Muskegon on Wednesday, 19 of them in intensive care and 14 on ventilators, according to data from the county health department.
The state provided the following age breakdown of cumulative COVID cases in the county on Wednesday: 247 among children under 9 years old, 779 among young people aged 10 to 19, 1,575 among those aged 20, 1,452 among those aged 30 , 1,496 among those in their 40s, 1,543 among 50’s, 1,287 among 60’s, 775 among 70’s and 564 among 80’s.
Related: Michigan reports 2,698 new coronavirus cases, 139 new deaths
Ottawa County had 18,855 cases accumulated on Wednesday, 422 more than the previous week. The deaths were 275, three more than in the previous week, although there were another 29 “probable” deaths from COVID, according to the state.
Oceana County had 1,649 cases and 42 deaths, according to state data.
There were 1,109 inmate cases, 90 employee cases and nine inmate deaths at Muskegon Correctional Facility, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. Of the cases of inmates, 33 are considered “active”.
Brooks Correctional Facility had 992 inmate cases, 35 of them active, and two inmate deaths, according to the MDOC. There were also 90 cases of employees at Brooks.
Arrest cases are not included in county numbers.
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