NBC News is reporting that President Joe Biden will address the nation on Tuesday on the country’s fight against COVID-19.
According to a White House official, Biden will announce the new steps to assist communities as the country sees rising cases of the new omicron virus variant.
The president is expected to add additional measures to the “Winter Plan” that he has already unveiled. He’s also expected to remind Americans to get vaccinated or get a booster shot when eligible in order to protect themselves from severe illness.
“No matter which hospital you’re talking to, no matter what health system you’re talking to, the word that you’re going to hear about current conditions in the state of Michigan is: crisis,” said Bob Riney, Chief Operating Officer of Henry Ford Health System.
Riney says that’s how dire things are with Michigan hospitals right now amid the ongoing COVID surge.
“We are in a crisis,” he said. “There’s no way around it and there’s no way to sugarcoat it. On any given day, our emergency departments are either at capacity or close to it.”
That’s why the Michigan Health Department is sounding the alarm.
“In order to take every measure necessary to relieve the burden on our state’s health care systems, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is reminding Michiganders to choose the right place of care for medical needs,” the MDHHS said in a statement.
Related: Don’t visit hospital emergency rooms for COVID-19 test, Michigan health officials urge
Michigan’s health care systems continue to be overburdened with COVID-19 patients, and a majority of them are unvaccinated, officials say.
Between Jan. 15–Dec. 3, officials say that 85.1% of COVID-19 cases, 88.1% of hospitalizations and 85.5% of deaths were among individuals who were not fully vaccinated for the virus. Experts say that COVID hospitalizations continue to be mostly preventable by receiving one of the safe and effective vaccines.
“We all need to do our part to get vaccinated and boosted to keep ourselves, our families and our neighbors safe,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “In addition to getting vaccinated, it is important to maintain your routine medical care so that any potential illness gets detected early and can be much more manageable. We urge Michiganders to continue seeking medical care but avoid emergency departments unless they have a life-threatening condition. If you don’t have a primary care provider, now is a great time to find one through contact with your local health care system.”
Illnesses can be treated at a variety of care settings depending on the severity of symptoms. Michiganders with life-threatening emergencies should always seek care by calling 911 or visiting the nearest emergency department.
And if these stats weren’t alarming enough, the omicron variant is now in the Metro Detroit area. According to MDHHS, as of Friday, a total of six confirmed omicron cases have been detected in Michigan.
There are two in Genessee County, one in Kent County, one in Oakland County, another one in Washtenaw County and the sixth one in Wayne County.
All of this is a concern as families gather for Christmas in just a few days.
More: Hospitals across Michigan fear more COVID cases after holiday season