DETROIT – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is bracing for a possible fourth coronavirus surge as we head into the fall.
The state said the delta variant has now been found in more than 50 counties and the city of Detroit.
Read: Detroit health officials: Everyone should wear masks inside, even if vaccinated
CVS and Walgreens began giving booster shots to the people most at risk. The CDC is recommending a third dose for seven million immunocompromised Americans.
“When I hear that 20,000 Michiganders have died at the hands of COVID, it makes me angry,” said Orlando Bailey, an advocate for the COVID vaccine. “I think that so many of the deaths that we’re experiencing -- especially within the recent months -- could have been avoided if we have taken and continue to take the necessary precautions to remain safe.”
Michigan has passed the grim milestone of 20,000 deaths from COVID. As of Friday, the number of deaths is 20,011, since the state recorded its first COVID-related death in March 2020.
Bailey knows about the deadly consequences of COVID. He lost his mentor and close friend Marlowe Stoudamire.
“One of those deaths was my friend, my mentor Marlowe Stoudamire,” Bailey said. “Actually, he was one of the first notable deaths due to COVID that we had in the city of Detroit. He was generous in his relationships. He was generous with his platform because he had a big one.”
But Bailey said Stoudamire’s biggest role was a husband and father.
“He was a family man. If you saw Marlowe, you’ll more than likely was going to see him with his two kids,” Bailey recalled.
As of Friday, 64.5% of eligible Michigan residents has received at least one dose. As for Detroit, that number is 41.7%.
Read: Where to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Michigan in August: List of clinics