Western Wayne Today

Improvements in the battle against COVID-19 in Michigan appear to have hit a wall as the state once again saw increases in infection rates in recent weeks, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has decided to keep the state locked down.

The positive outlook had come as numbers fell across the state and with the promise of coronavirus vaccines, according to Bridge Michigan. Yet hospitalization and infection rates may have plateaued, experts believe.

Previously, state restrictions on restaurants, bars and other businesses that were placed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services during the holiday season were originally set to expire on Friday, Jan. 15. But Whitmer has said she doesn’t intend to allow them to end without more significant gains against the coronavirus.

“I anticipate some more days of data before a determination is made on what the next steps look like,” Whitmer said on Jan. 6, according to Bridge Michigan.

The most recent low in infections came just after Christmas, when there were 1,600 new cases each day on Dec. 26 and 27, according to Bridge Michigan. But since then, the state has seen cases increase once again, though that assertion is based on seven-day averages, with some days having approximately twice as many cases as others.

Adding to concerns, a new variant of the coronavirus has been identified spreading in other parts of the world, particularly in the U.K, though it has yet to be recorded in Michigan.

“I don't think we would be surprised if it was here already, and we expect that it could have significant impacts on the spread of the disease in the state,” Sarah Lyon-Callo, state epidemiologist, told Bridge Michigan.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has also expressed concerns over the possible impact of the new strain.