On Friday, Washtenaw County Health Department officials urged community members to use available strategies to prevent cases of severe illness and reduce transmission.

The Health Department is offering free, rapid COVID testing on Thursday outside its Ypsilanti offices.

Meijer begins COVID vaccinations at some pharmacies in Wayne CountyMeijer Pharmacy is hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce to administer an anticipated 1,170 first-dose COVID-19 vaccinations on Wednesday, March 31 at the Meijer Pharmacy in Warren. Second doses will be scheduled for Wednesday, April 21. To register:Text “MOUND” to 75049Visit clinic.meijer.com/register/CL0058 to register at the Meijer Pharmacy on Mound Raod in Warren (29505 Mound Rd., Warren, MI 48092)Call (586) 722-7253 to register by phoneThose eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine include:All individuals 50 and olderIndividuals 16-49 with pre-existing health conditions or disabilitiesHealth care, education, manufacturing, agricultural and food processing workersCORONAVIRUS RESOURCES

Meijer begins COVID vaccinations at some pharmacies in Wayne CountyMeijer Pharmacy is hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce to administer an anticipated 1,170 first-dose COVID-19 vaccinations on Wednesday, March 31 at the Meijer Pharmacy in Warren. Second doses will be scheduled for Wednesday, April 21. To register:Text “MOUND” to 75049Visit clinic.meijer.com/register/CL0058 to register at the Meijer Pharmacy on Mound Raod in Warren (29505 Mound Rd., Warren, MI 48092)Call (586) 722-7253 to register by phoneThose eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine include:All individuals 50 and olderIndividuals 16-49 with pre-existing health conditions or disabilitiesHealth care, education, manufacturing, agricultural and food processing workersRelated: Meijer, Blue Cross hosting vaccine clinic in Ypsilanti on March 30CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES

Meijer begins COVID vaccinations at some pharmacies in Wayne CountyMeijer Pharmacy is hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Cross Complete, HOPE Clinic, United Way and local churches and pastors to administer an anticipated 1,170 first-dose COVID-19 vaccinations on Tuesday, March 30 at Meijer in Ypsilanti. Second doses will be scheduled for Tuesday, April 20. To register:Text “HOPE” to 75049Meijer Pharmacy on Carpenter Road in Ypsilanti (3825 Carpenter Rd., Ypsilanti, MI 48197) Visit clinic.meijer.com/register/CL0036 to register at the(3825 Carpenter Rd., Ypsilanti, MI 48197)Register by phone by calling 2-1-1 and hold for an operatorClinic details:Eligible individuals meeting state criteria 50 years and older and those 16-49 with a pre-existing health conditionAll appointments are scheduled; no walk-insPlan to arrive exactly at your scheduled timeBring and wear a face mask at all times at the clinicTransportation can be provided from Second Baptist Church OpportunitiesRelated: Meijer, Blue Cross hosting vaccine clinic in Warren on March 31CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES

DETROIT – The city of Detroit expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility on Monday to include anyone who lives or works in the city and has to report to work. All others onsite workers now eligible should schedule their appointment at TCF Center by calling the city’s central vaccine scheduling number at 313-230-0505. AdWhere to goWhen you call to schedule the appointment, you will be told when and where to go. These vaccination appointments are being made for the TCF Center in Downtown Detroit -- 1 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI. TCF Center vaccination site map (City of Detroit)More: Michigan COVID vaccine eligibility expands: What to know

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine expanded statewide on Monday and the Washtenaw County Health Department has switched to a new scheduling method. For those who need it, the Health Department is also providing phone scheduling. Read: Michigan COVID vaccine eligibility expands Monday: What to knowAdThe Health Department reminds residents that other sites are offering the vaccine, including the new FEMA/State of Michigan Ford Field site and retail pharmacies. We also recognize there are still challenges,” Jimena Loveluck, health officer with Washtenaw County Health Department, said in a statement. AdPop-up vaccination clinics will continue throughout Washtenaw County to ensure an equitable distribution of the vaccine to communities hit hardest by the virus.

FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2021, file photo, people prepare doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at the Martin Luther King Senior Center, in North Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher,File)The Macomb County Health Department announced Tuesday it will have new COVID-19 vaccination appointments added to its system on a daily basis. The county said it has made an update to its COVID-19 vaccine scheduling system based on an increased number of doses coming to the county, allowing it to increase the appointments. The county said starting Tuesday, March 9, the county’s online scheduling system will be open 24/7 at www.macombgov.org/covidvaccine with new appointments added on a daily basis. AdCounty officials are “confident” its COVID-19 vaccine dose allocation will not be decreased in the coming weeks and months.

GARDEN CITY, Mich. – Garden City will be making COVID-19 vaccinations available to residents 65 and older and those 50 or older with pre-existing conditions on Monday, March 15, 2021. The vaccinations will be administered at the Maplewood Community Center (31735 Maplewood, Garden City) between 9 a.m-3:30 p.m.As of Tuesday, the city said it is not sure if this will be a single dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson) or a two-dose vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna). Residents must provide valid ID proving they are a Garden City resident when they arrive at Maplewood Center at their appointed time. You are not eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccination if you have had a flu shot, shingles shot or any other vaccination in the last 14 days. Michigan COVID-19 vaccinations: How to find appointments, info on phases

ANN ARBOR – In an email sent to patients on Wednesday, Michigan Medicine announced that it will not be administering additional first-dose COVID-19 vaccinations this week due to low supply. “On behalf of all the physicians and staff at Michigan Medicine, thank you for your patience,” read the letter. AdThe state of Michigan is currently prioritizing sending the majority of its vaccine supply to local health departments, with about 40% going to hospitals around the state, officials said. AdMichigan Medicine patients do not need to take action to receive a vaccine through the health system. Established patients are already in the system and will receive invitations to get the vaccine once supply becomes available.

(AP Photo/David Goldman, File)YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Washtenaw County Health Department announced Tuesday that it is postponing COVID-19 vaccination clinics this week due to low supply. Individuals who had appointments to be vaccinated during these days will be contacted by the Health Department directly. “This is incredibly difficult for everyone involved,” Jimena Loveluck, health officer with Washtenaw County Health Department said in a news release. Instead, the Health Department is working closely with local providers to administer the Moderna vaccine to residents 65 years and older immediately. Individuals are randomly selected to be vaccinated and information about underlying health conditions is not used by the Health Department at this time.

WARREN, Mich. Warren City Hall will be open by appointment only beginning Monday. Appointments can be made Monday through Friday between 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visitors and employees must wear masksSecurity will be at the door screening visitors who have appointmentsThe Civic Center Library will also open by appointment only Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.All other branch libraries will be open regular hoursThe number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 101,478 as of Saturday, including 6,467 deaths, state officials report. For more information visit the citys website.

Subsequently, a group of researchers at Columbia University in New York looked at the blood type and severity of disease in over 1,500 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and they also found a higher proportion of blood type A patients and a lower proportion of patients with type O blood who were coronavirus positive. They did not however find that blood type had any relationship to the risk of requiring intubation or dying from COVID-19. A preprint study from Germany evaluated the genome of nearly 2,000 patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure from seven hospitals in Italy and Spain. The final newest bit of information suggesting a link between blood type and COVID susceptibility comes from a preliminary release of information by the company 23 And Me. They havent formally published any data but say their early analysis similarly found people with type O blood were less likely to have tested positive.

People have been putting off medical care amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of my concerns is patients who put off their care, said Dr. Preeti Malani, University of Michigan chief health officer. In many ways that is going to be our second wave of coronavirus -- illnesses and hospitalizations.A poll from Kaiser Family Foundation shows 48% of Americans say someone in their family delayed or skipped medical care amid this pandemic, and 11% say their conditions got worse. Patients are being urged to get the care they need as soon as possible. The risk of waiting and not getting care can outweigh the risk of being exposed to a lot of people, said Dr. Malani.