GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, Mich. – After a period of decreased coronavirus spread, COVID cases are starting to rise in some regions across the U.S. and the world -- including in some parts of Michigan.
Grand Traverse County in Northern Michigan is considered to have “high” community COVID-19 spread as of Monday, May 9, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That label is determined by the number of new virus cases and hospitalizations, officials say.
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The CDC recommends that in communities with high virus spread, people should wear face masks indoors when in public, and while taking public transportation. Grand Traverse County is the only Michigan county labeled as having high community spread as of Monday.
Several Michigan counties in both the upper and lower peninsulas, however, are considered to have “medium” community COVID spread, including five Metro Detroit counties and a number of Northern Michigan counties.
See here: Interactive map: COVID community levels and case rates by Michigan county
Livingston, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe Washtenaw and Wayne counties in Metro Detroit are seeing some increased COVID spread, according to CDC’s data. People in counties with medium community transmission are encouraged to monitor themselves for symptoms, and test if symptoms arise. People are also encouraged to wear a mask on public transportation, and/or as a precaution when out in public.
Click here to see the CDC’s county data for the entire country.
COVID case counts have been ticking up slightly in recent weeks, following weeks of decreased spread that came after a monthslong surge. The omicron COVID variant and its subvariants appear to be the dominant mutations that are driving the spread. Michigan health officials reported last month that the state is expected to continue to see a rise in cases, but deaths and hospitalizations are not expected to surge like they did during the last wave.
Nearly one million Americans have died from COVID since the pandemic began.
Related: Local 4 producer: I got free COVID tests through my insurance -- here’s how to do it