The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services held a COVID-19 update Tuesday morning. No new mandates or restrictions announced but just strong recommendations as the Omicron variant spreads like wildfire.
“It is critical that every person in this state continues to take steps to stay safe,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel.
The key there? Every person in the state has to take the steps. The state still is not mandating any rules or restrictions pertaining to COVID-19. This comes as the state’s case rates and hospitalizations are higher than ever. The state says instead of mandates, they are focused on three things.
“Which is preventing deaths and severe outcomes, protecting our healthcare capacity and keep all vital infrastructure including schools up and running,” said Hertel.
Models are showing Omicron is burning hard but it will be fast. Michiganders following recommendations will decide how hard it will hit.
“They’re showing that we will likely peak in between late January and early February and then after that things will start coming down,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive, “Now it’s really up to us on how high do we want that peak to get?”
Many believe the variant is the way out of the pandemic, more people will get a more mild version of the virus and be immunized. While not denying that reality, the state is not ready to endorse it.
“This journey out of this path to ‘endemic COVID’ is just much safer if we do it through vaccines,” said Badasarian,”And not rely on everyone getting COVID between January and February 2022.”
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