Monroe County, Michigan health officials monitoring Omicron situation

Both county and state health officials say the best way to combat the latest mutation of COVID-19 is to continue following precautions such as social distancing, wearing masks and getting vaccinated.

A press release issued Monday by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said that while the newly discovered Omicron variant has not yet been detected in Michigan, "the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is monitoring for it and advising residents that the presence of variants makes it even more important to get vaccinated, including the booster dose to increase protection, wear masks and take other precautions."

"Ensuring that as many Michiganders as possible are vaccinated remains the best protection we have against COVID-19 - including variants of concern." said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical executive. "We are asking Michiganders to continue to use critical mitigation measures, such as getting vaccinated and getting boosters when eligible, wearing a mask, and getting tested regularly. Increased transmission fuels the development of more variants of concern."

According to the press release, the World Health Organization has declared Omicron - which emerged in South Africa - to be a variant of concern. There appears to be evidence that it is more transmissible, based on preliminary information

In response, the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories has re-analyzed the genetic sequencing data from 31,000 positive COVID-19 samples sequenced in its lab and has identified no cases of the new variant

"It's still early, and there is much that we need to learn about the Omicron variant," said Dr. Alexis Travis, senior deputy director of MDHHS's Public Health Administration. "We know what protection measures are needed to reduce the spread of COVID and prevent additional mutations of the virus. We need Michiganders to continue to do their part to keep themselves and their loved ones safe."

In addition to getting vaccinated and wearing masks - particularly indoors and in crowded areas - the MDHHS says that other things people can do to protect themselves and their loved ones include:

• Getting tested for COVID-19, especially before gatherings.

• Physically distancing from others and avoiding crowds

• Washing hands frequently with soap and water and cleaning hands with alcohol-based hand rub.

• Covering your mouth and nose with a bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze

• Self-isolating until you recover if you develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.

MDHHS also issued a public health advisory that all Michiganders, regardless of vaccination status, should wear a mask in indoor public settings, and those who are not fully vaccinated or who are immunocompromised should avoid large crowds or gatherings.

Monroe County Health Department Director Kim Comerzan said that she and her peers across the state are in contact with the MDHHS at least weekly. She added that her office also continues to encourage everyone to follow the mitigation strategies that have been in place since the onset of the pandemic, and to consider getting vaccinated.

"Obviously we're encouraging people to get vaccinated, get the booster shot, do all those things for prevention such as wearing a mask in public," Comerzan said. "...(Everyone) really needs to take care of themselves, be safe for themselves, their family and their loved ones. We all need to assess ourselves for what is safe for us, and it's an individual choice and I understand and respect that."

According to data collected by MCHD and MDHHS, the region had 583 confirmed cases of COVID-19 from Nov. 18 through Nov. 24. The community transmission level remains high, with 493.7 cases per 100,000 individuals. Monroe County's positivity rate sits at 17.7 percent.

The majority of the region's cases continue to come from the 48161 and 48162 area codes.

Just under 49 percent of county residents had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Nov. 24. This information now includes the recently-approved 5-11 age bracket - 5 percent of county residents age 5-11 have received their first dose. It does not yet include any data on the number of individuals who have received a booster shot.

Comerzan said that while removing the 5-11 age bracket makes the county's vaccination rate look marginally better, it's still not where she would like it to be. However, she remains confident that a good number of 5-to-11-year-olds will receive the vaccine soon.

"I feel like (that age group) will climb quicker in vaccination status, just because they're a population that gets vaccinated, they're used to getting vaccinated," she said.

At least one local school district took additional measures this week to help stem the spread of COVID-19 within its buildings following the Thanksgiving break.

Jefferson Schools interim Supt. Heidi Galati said her district preemptively cancelled classes Monday "just to hopefully slow any spread people would have had over the Thanksgiving holiday."

"We’ve been really lucky," Galati said. "So far (Tuesday), we’ve only had six people call in... We planned (to be closed Monday) a week in advance just to slow any spread should anyone catch it Thanksgiving day at the family get togethers. We thought, 'Let's just have a pause and that way if anyone had symptoms they had an extra day to determine that and stay home,' and that seems to have worked. We don’t have a spike in cases so far.

“We haven’t had to close due to our cases being high. It was more of a preventative measure."

Bedford Public Schools Supt. Dr. Carl Shultz said that his district has not taken any additional preventative measures as it resumes classes following the holiday break. Last month, BPS instituted a mandate requiring all students, staff and visitors to wear masks while inside any of its buildings.

That mandate remains in effect indefinitely.

"We are already disinfecting our classrooms nightly," Shultz said. "We are monitoring and continuing our current strategies."

Monroe News Reporter Kara Vensel contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: County, state health officials monitoring Omicron situation