MARQUETTE — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Friday extended its Gatherings and Mask epidemic order, which includes an expansion of mask requirements to children ages 2 to 4.

The order, which officials say preserves the strongest public health order in the Midwest, is designed to balance day-to-day activities with controlling the spread of COVID-19 and saving lives, the State Emergency Operations Center reported.

The order extension is effective through May 24.

Expanding the mask rule to children ages 2 to 4 requires a “good faith effort”

to ensure that these children wear masks while in gatherings at child care facilities or camps and takes effect April 26, the center reported. This addresses the increase in cases among younger residents and follows recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, officials said.

“Michigan continues to implement smart health policies and mitigation measures to fight the spread of COVID-19,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director, in a statement. “This includes the requirement to wear a mask while in public and at gatherings, limits on indoor residential social gatherings larger than 15 people with no more than three households and expanded testing requirements for youth sports.

“Additionally, the most important thing people can do right now is to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and their families, and help us eliminate this virus once and for all.”

As of Friday, 29.5% of Michigan residents 16 and older were fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and 44% had received at least a first dose.

“More than 5.5 million doses of the safe and effective COVID vaccines have been administered in Michigan, and we are well on our way to vaccinating at least 70% of Michiganders ages 16 and up,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS, in a statement. “However, I continue to be incredibly concerned about our state’s COVID-19 data. We are still very much fighting this pandemic and seeing concerning trends in new cases and hospitalizations.

“Michiganders need to be using every tool in our toolbox right now to get these cases and hospitalizations down. Just because something is open and legal does not mean you should be doing it. We all must continue doing what works to slow the spread of the disease by wearing masks, washing our hands, avoiding crowds and indoor gatherings, and making plans to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.”

MDHHS had been monitoring three metrics for stabilization or declines over the past several weeks.

It reported these metrics for recent days: 

≤ The positivity rate had increased for eight weeks but has seen a recent five-day decline to 17.1%. However, this metric remains up 390% from the mid-February low and remains above the December peak of 14.4%.

≤ The statewide case rate has increased over the past eight weeks to 613.9 cases per million. The rate is more than 475% higher than the low in mid-February but remains below peak of 737.8 cases per million on Nov. 14.

≤ Regarding hospital capacity, the percent of inpatient beds dedicated to those with COVID-19 is now at 18.8%. This metric peaked at 19.6% on Dec. 4 and is up 373% from the February low.

These three metrics have been increasing for the past few weeks, although the rate of increase is declining, officials said. The presence of more infectious variants, such as the B 1.1.7 variant, threatens progress in control of the epidemic, so MDHHS will be monitoring data closely.

Jamie Brown, president of the Michigan Nurses Association, issued a statement on the recent surge and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce calling for reduction of protections for frontline workers.

“Nurses are exhausted,” Brown said. “Many hospitals are close to 100% capacity. RNs around the state are being put in the impossible situation of having to decide which patient to attend to. Nurses are working up to 18 hours at a time, often without breaks.

“We are begging for everyone in the community to do their part. Stay home. Wear a mask. Get a vaccine when you are able. We are barely able to keep our heads above water. We are in crisis. We need our communities’ help.”

Wearing a mask significantly reduces the spread of infection and should be part of the comprehensive strategy to reduce COVID-19, including for children age 2 and up, said Dr. Matthew Hornik, president of the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in a statement.

“Use of masks does not restrict oxygen in the lungs even in children. It is recommended to wear a mask with layers to filter droplets effectively,” Hornik said.

The Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance also reacted to the extension of the MDHHS mask order. The alliance represents 16 chambers and economic development organizations and over 7,000 member businesses from across northern Michigan, including the Marquette-based Lake Superior Community Partnership.

“We all want things to get back to normal as quickly as possible, but to do that it’s going to take us all working together,” said Stacie Bytwork, the chairperson of the alliance and president and CEO of the Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce, in a statement. “We can all do our part to stay safe and keep businesses open.”

Bytwork said the alliance is “relieved” the order does not further restrict capacity limits on its businesses, and the alliance will continue to educate its community on the importance of COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

In a news release, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, the Michigan Manufacturers Association and the Michigan Retailers Association expressed concern as the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration Advisory Committee completed its scheduled work and MIOSHA announced its plans to move forward with extending what the groups called “overly restrictive” COVID-19 workplace rules on a permanent basis.

The business groups voiced concern over how the permanent rules could come to conflict with CDC recommendations and current science, saying they will adversely impact jobs and hurt the economy.

MCHD begins new scheduling

The Marquette County Health Department will begin scheduling appointments for individuals ages 16 and 17 who need the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

First doses will be given at the Northern Center on the campus of Northern Michigan University from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday and from 1 to 4 p.m. next Saturday.

Those who have already preregistered with the MCHD will receive an email with a scheduling invitation. Individuals who have not preregistered are asked to use the link to the registration form at mqthealth.org. Depending on the availability, the schedule will show open time slots.

Individuals are asked to check back for additional dates if no appointments are available. Minors ages 16 and 17 will need a parent or guardian to accompany them to their appointments to provide consent.

The Pfizer-BioNTech was approved originally for this age group, the MCHD said. However, because of limited supply and prioritizations, the vaccine has not been widely available until now. Many in this age group work frontline jobs and participate in sports and activities that put them at a greater risk for COVID-19.

Vaccinations, the MCHD stressed, are a key to the community returning to normal.

Anyone needing help with scheduling may call 906-475-7847. Phone lines are staffed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Vaccination appointments for those age 18 and older still are being offered, and registration can be found at mqthealth.org.

COVID vaccine dashboard changes

The MDHHS is transitioning its COVID-19 vaccine dashboard to a new methodology to more clearly and simply summarize vaccination data reporting, officials say.

“Since we started vaccinating Michiganders, we have had the opportunity to improve our data systems and evolve processes,” Hertel said in a statement. “We continue to seek ways to improve the quality and accuracy of data shared within the COVID-19 dashboard. Over 3.5 million Michiganders have received at least their first dose of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as we work to reach our goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders age 16 and older.”

According to the State Emergency Operations Center, the dashboard will now reflect the following improvements:

≤ Show the date the vaccine(s) are delivered to providers to make it easier to understand where vaccines are located and how quickly they are being administered.

≤ Show the number of doses delivered by both state providers and federal programs within the state. Previously the data showed only the deliveries from the state’s allocations.

≤ Users of the dashboard will see the date, quantity and location of all doses delivered to state-enrolled partners and federal program participants. Data can be filtered by state and federal distribution.

≤ The number of doses administered will look slightly different. An improved deduplication method will show a more accurate description of the number of first and second doses administered. The updated data set will also include more precise address information, which may cause a variation in total number of doses administered within each county, local health department jurisdiction and preparedness region.

All updates will be reflected in public-use data sets, and provider data will not change.

Additionally, if a Michigan resident has received a COVID-19 vaccination out of state, they can share that information with their provider for entry into the state’s database.

LMAS gives community message

The Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft District Health Department on Thursday issued a message to the community on COVID-19.

“How many people would still be with us if SARS-CoV-2 hadn’t swept around the world in 2020?” it said. “How many more would have been taken from us if collectively and individually we had done nothing? Those numbers can never be fully known.”

Unlike most of its news releases, LMAS said it wasn’t talking just about the numbers.

“We have learned a lot about this novel (new) coronavirus over the last year,” it said. “We know that face coverings, social distancing and hand washing help to slow the spread, but only when the majority of people consistently follow the protocols.”

The situation, though, is fluid, and LMAS addressed that fact in its message.

“Initially, we thought that surfaces would be a significant spread of the virus, but now we know that is not the case,” it said. “When dealing with a new infectious virus, it is prudent to err on the side of caution to protect the health of all and then adjust as we learn more. Science has found some answers, including the development of safe and effective vaccines, which have been given to millions of people around the world.”

LMAS also acknowledged the virus has changed.

“Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time,” it said. “Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants emerge and persist. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic.

“We know the variants have become more infectious. We know in this third wave in Michigan that the vaccines received by the older population are making it far less likely for them to become ill with COVID. We also know that those hospitalized now are younger, some are very ill, but deaths are not rising as in previous waves.”

LMAS said there now is a treatment with monoclonal antibodies that’s working well in keeping some symptomatic patients from getting seriously ill.

“Most of us long to travel again and see friends, family and places that refresh our minds and our bodies,” LMAS said. “We cannot get there without you. We can see a bit of hope down the road, but we can only get there if we do the small things we asked you all to do one year ago.”

At least two different variants are making the rounds in the Upper Peninsula, and even more in lower Michigan, it noted.

LMAS again urges people to wear a mask covering the nose and mouth, wash hands, not gather in large crowds and get the COVID vaccine.

“These are the tools we have,” it said. “We need you to use these tools. This is a fight that has gone into extra rounds. We all have a position on the team. The playbook is pretty basic: Take care of each other, choose to be responsible for yourself, your family, your neighbors and your community.

“Take a break from a news cycle that repeats every 10 minutes. Use kind words instead of hateful ones. We know you’re sick of all of this, so are we. The fastest way through this is together.”

To get more information on vaccines or to schedule an appointment, visit LMASDHD.org or message the department on its Facebook page.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.