The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has added a new color to its flu activity level chart, indicating areas with very high levels of respiratory illnesses.

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 2021, file photo, a medical worker gives a coronavirus vaccine shot to a patient at a vaccination facility in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)TAIPEI – China has approved a new COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, one that was developed by the head of its Center for Disease Control, adding a fifth shot to its arsenal. It is the fifth coronavirus vaccine approved in China and the fourth to be given emergency use approval. Like other vaccines China has developed so far, it can be stored at normal refrigeration temperatures. AdChina has been slow in vaccinating its population of 1.4 billion people, despite having four vaccines approved for general use.

Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge recalled his experience of getting the Pfizer vaccine recently and continued to offer suggestions Monday. Speaking about the experience with the COVID-19 vaccine McGeorge said:”The last time I was on air Thursday night I had received the vaccine about three hours before and I was feeling fine. Once a day for the first week you’ll get a daily reminder link that takes you to a page where you can report any symptoms. After the first week you’ll get a text once a week for five weeks. According to the CDC, as of 1 p.m. Sunday 556,208 doses of the vaccine had been administered.

Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order Saturday that will require coronavirus (COVID-19) testing protocols for Michigan Department of Corrections facilities. The order is effective immediately for jails that have not resumed inmate transfers. Jails that continued transfers under the previous version of the order have until Sept. 8 to comply. By reducing the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and jails, we protect corrections officers and their families, incarcerated people, and the whole community, Whitmer said. The Michigan Department of Corrections has been a leader for states across the country in COVID-19 response.

The CDC issued a warning over the weekend about rodents exhibiting unusual or aggressive behavior as the hunt for food becomes more difficult. Jurisdictions have closed or limited service at restaurants and other commercial establishments to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Community-wide closures have led to a decrease in food available to rodents, especially in dense commercial areas. Some jurisdictions have reported an increase in rodent activity as rodents search for new sources of food. Environmental health and rodent control programs may see an increase in service requests related to rodents and reports of unusual or aggressive rodent behavior, the CDC said.

DETROIT – Newly released data from the Center for Disease Control shows an increase in total deaths this year in states hard hit by COVID-19, including Michigan. Data shows in Michigan, the partial death count is 121 percent of the count in a normal year, the equivalent of nearly 2,000 more deaths. (Find the latest Michigan COVID-19 data here)The New York Times found in New Jersey, deaths have been 172 percent of the normal — more than 5,000 additional deaths, compared with an average count from the past five years. The CDC data is partial and state’s are reporting COVID-19 deaths much quicker than at the federal level. Michigan, like many other states, is reviewing death certificates and matching test results, which has resulted in a retroactive increase in COVID-19 deaths.