By John Raffel
Correspondent
ALLEGAN — The number of COVID-19 cases in Allegan County posted by health department officials coming into this week was up to 21,376. Deaths rose by eight from a week ago to 287.
Governor Whitmer announced in June restrictions would be lifted as COVID numbers were going down and vaccination numbers were going up. Capacity in both indoor and outdoor settings increased to 100 percent. But the numbers are continuing to increase again. The total from the previous weeks were 20, 764, and 280 deaths; 20,135 cases and 272 deaths; 19,758 cases and 261 deaths; 19,328 cases and 246 death; 18,780 cases and 226; 17,979 cases and 220 deaths; 17,299 cases and 213 deaths; 16,489 and 213 deaths; 15,630 and 201 deaths; 14,894 and 193 deaths; 14,606 and 189 deaths; 14,151 and 184 deaths; 13,729 and 180 deaths; 13,383 and 177 deaths; 12,992 cases and 173 deaths; 12,787 cases and 169 deaths; 12,462 cases
and 169 deaths; 12,148 cases and 167 deaths; 12,019 cases and 165 deaths; 11,816 cases and 164 deaths 11,617 cases while deaths stayed at 163; 11,469 cases and 163 deaths; 1266 cases and 162 deaths; 11,234 cases and 162 deaths; 11,209 cases and 162 deaths; 11,191 cases and 161 deaths; 11,183 cases and 159 deaths; 11,165 cases and 158 deaths; 11,150 cases and 156 deaths; 11,118 cases and 151 deaths; 11,079 cases and 149 deaths; 11,000 cases and 142 deaths; 10,827 cases and 139 deaths; 10,640 cases and 136 deaths; 10,353 cases and 131 deaths; 10,015 cases and 126 deaths; 9,569 cases and 126 deaths; 8,985 cases and 120 deaths; 8,478 cases and 118 deaths; 8,048 cases with 118 deaths; 7,752 and 118 deaths; 7,557 cases and 118 deaths; 7,405 and 118 deaths; 7,298 and 118 deaths; 7,211 and 118 deaths; 7,145 cases and 115 deaths; 7,055 cases and 109 deaths; 6,918 and 106 deaths; 6,734 and 98 deaths; 6,491 cases and 92 deaths; 6,190 cases and 86 deaths; 5,865 cases with 72 deaths; 5,509 cases and 57 deaths, compared to 5,355 the week before, up dramatically from 4,955 and 4,496 the previous two weeks.
The week’s totals before that was 3,870 and 3,348; preceded by 2,596, an increase of 752 in one week. The death count had risen by seven to 20. The number of cases were 1,941; 1,503; l,201 and 1,015 in previous weeks. The number the week before that was 901 cases and seven deaths. The week before that, it was 815 cases and seven deaths.
Statewide, it’s at 1.9 million cases and 29,979 deaths.
The figures are 320,000 cases and 6,672 deaths in Wayne County; 228,000 cases and 3,200 deaths in Oakland County; 188,000 cases and 3,310 deaths for Macomb County and 136,000 confirmed cases and 1,304 deaths for Kent County.
In neighboring counties, it’s 11,276 cases and 134 deaths in Barry County; 60,057 cases and 672 deaths in Ottawa County and 12,731 cases and 211 deaths in Van Buren County.
A USDA study provided by the Allegan County Health Department showed that only 1 percent of people washed their hands correctly before preparing food.
Washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before preparing food can help prevent food poisoning, the health department points out.
COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS- CoV-2. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.