WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. (WXYZ) — The coronavirus is continuing to spread in Washtenaw County for a third straight week. Mask rules have loosened across the state and the country, and many are worried about how the latest spike could impact their spring and summer plans.
In Oakland County, the transmission level for the community is low, and that goes for most of southeast Michigan.
But, the Washtenaw County Health Department is keeping an eye on rising COVID-19 cases, especially with the likely spread of the BA.2 variant.
The rise in cases isn't expected to hit hospital systems as hard as previous variants have.
As of Monday morning, Washtenaw County is as a "medium" community transmission level, meaning if you're at high risk for severe illness, you should talk to your doctor about the need to wear a mask. if you have symptoms, you should get tested.
On Friday, the most current report showed 96 confirmed cases and 40 probable cases. The county is seeing more cases in school and college-aged kids.
"Instead of cases, for example, in our county trending very low in the 20 or so reports a day, we're now up in the one to two hundred reports of cases a day," Susan Ringler-Cerniglia said.
As cases rise in the county, it's still a much different story than last year.
White House COVID-19 Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said cases are still important and it's important to keep infection numbers low, but it's different now with people vaccinated and boosted.
But, with a ruling last week, there is confusion over masking across the country, as they are optional in public transportation hubs like airports and on busses and trains.
At the University of Michigan, masks have been optional in most indoor spaces since mid-March, but are still required in classrooms. Some other colleges have reinstated their mandates.
Health officials in the county are urging caution and asking people to keep a mask on if you feel like you need one in a crowded area.
Also, make sure you have COVID-19 tests at home, just in case you need to feel anything.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.