EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated with the correct Allegan County test dates.
HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — How bad is this COVID-19 surge in West Michigan? Spectrum Health, which operates 14 hospitals and a chain of urgent-care centers between Ludington and Niles, will hit capacity in a matter of days.
Spectrum President and CEO Tina Freese Decker says this surge in COVID-19 patients is forcing health system officals to eliminate visitors for adults, except those at the end of their lives or in intensive care. (Listen to the complete news conference podcast.)
The number of people being diagnosed with the coronavirus, as well as those becoming critically ill, “is going in the wrong direction,” she said. Spectrum Health had a record 290 COVID-19 patients as of Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, which is eight-times higher than September.
Spectrum Health West Michigan President Dr. Darryl Elmouchi said people need to act proactively to flatten the curve as much as possible, using tactics applied last spring.
Spectrum will, for now, stop testing people for the virus unless they have symptoms.
Allegan County health officials are hosting a free drive-thru COVID-19 test event, set from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays on Nov. 21, Dec. 5 and Dec. 19, 2020, at the Allegan Transportation building, 750 Airway Drive in Allegan.
More than 60 people are being diagnosed daily in Allegan County, which has 1,216 people with the virus now — and 9 have died since mid-March.
Branch Co. has 60 new cases and since mid-March a total of 1215 who’ve gotten ill, and 17 deaths.
Hillsdale has 31 new cases and since mid-March a total of 771 30 deaths
St. Joseph reports 94 new cases and since mid-March a total of 1,668 and 28 deaths
Kalamazoo County health officials reports 141 new cases with 6,588 people have been diagnosed with the virus since March — 131 have died.
Statewide 6,008 people learned yesterday they have COVID-19 — a total since March of 229,285. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services officials reported 42 people died, for a statewide total since the start of the pandemic of 7,766.
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