There have been 629 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six COVID-related deaths in the greater Lansing area in the past week.
"We are seeing an increase of cases in the county, we're seeing an increase in cases statewide...day by day number of cases, you can see those increasing as well. We are plateauing at a level that is higher than where we need to be...in order for things like this to not just immediately spike up again. The CDC director has been saying the same thing, as well as Dr. Fauci, that when we plateau like this, especially when we plateau at a level of transmission that is higher, typically what we see is a surge in cases afterwards so we are trying to mitigate this surge at this particular point in time," Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail said.
Only 13 percent of the greater Lansing population has been fully vaccinated.
Those 50 and older became eligible for vaccination on Monday, along with those 16 years and older with disabilities or medical conditions. On April 5, everyone 16 years or older will be eligible.
The 16-to-25 age group accounts for 36 percent of total cases in Ingham County, and, for that reason, Vail said it's important for this group to register now at multiple vaccination centers, including Ford Field, Meijer, Rite Aid and Sparrow Health System.
"When I look at these numbers for our 16-to-25-year-olds, I just cannot emphasize enough the importance of our 16-to-25-year-olds getting vaccinated," she said. "That is an age group that tends to think that they don't need the vaccine, I mean if there's a way to convince them...'You won't have to quarantine if you're vaccinated, which means you're not going to miss those games,' or whatever. It's like, I don't know what it's going to take, but we really need that group to register and get vaccinated as well."
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