Gov. Whitmer Receives Flu Vaccine During Press Conference
(CBS DETROIT) - Governor Gretchen Whitmer held a press conference Friday afternoon providing updates on the State's response to COVID-19.
Here's Whitmer's Aug. 25 updates:
- Ikea donated $1.2 million to Michigan's Covid-19 response and recovery initiative. Whitmer said it's the largest donation to date.
- Flu season is around the corner. Whitmer said preventing the flu will help save lives and preserve health care resources needed to fight Covid-19.
- Michigan has set a goal of achieving a 33 percent increase in flu vaccinations this season.
- Whitmer says there are still crucial precautions everyone must take to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and the flu. She added until there is a coronavirus vaccine, everyone must do everything in their power to protect each other.
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"It's more important than ever for Michiganders everywhere to get your flu vaccine. Preventing the flu will help us save lives and preserve the health care resources we need to continue fighting COVID-19," said Whitmer.
In Michigan, 3.2 million people got the flu vaccine last year. At the end of Tuesday's press conference, Whitmer received her Flu vaccination. For a list of flu vaccination clinics near you, visit www.flu.gov.
Here are updates from Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services chief medical executive and chief deputy director for health.
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The rate of new cases continues to vary by region. Here's the data update as of Aug. 21:
- Detroit Region: has the highest case rate at 69 cases per million people per day.
- Khaldun said this trend has been decreasing over the past week.
- UP and Saginaw Regions: about 57 cases per million people per day.
- The UP has seen a decrease in case rate over the past week.
- The Saginaw Region has seen an increase.
- Kalamazoo Region: 53 cases per million people per day.
- This region has seen a decrease over the past two weeks.
- Grand Rapids Region: 40 cases per million people per day.
- This region has seen a decrease over the past two weeks.
- Traverse City Region: about 32 cases per million people per day.
- This region has seen an increase over the past two weeks.
- Jackson and Lansing Areas: around 25 cases per million people per day.
- This region has seen decreases over the past one-to-two weeks.
Khaldun says overall the percent of positive coronavirus tests are at a 3.3 percent an is holding steady.
"Ideally we would want that number to come down even lower, below three percent" she said.
The state is aggressively tracing coronavirus outbreaks which according to Khaldun are happening in every region of the state.
Last week, local heath departments identified 70 outbreaks they were investigating. Now, information about these outbreaks will be posted weekly here.
Khaldun said with flu season just around the corner and the continuation of the coronavirus, it is very concerning.
"People with symptoms of the flu will need to stay out of school and work or they can get very sick and need to be admitted to the hospital and even, God forbid, they could lose their life. This is not a joke," she said.
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