By Pat Maurer
Correspondent
2022 arrives tomorrow, hopefully marking the last of a horrific two years plagued by a pandemic of epic proportions as COVID-19 and its variants raged across the planet.
But it isn’t looking good for this week between Christmas and New Year’s weekends.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the two-day average of new cases in Michigan numbered a record-breaking 25,858, or an average of 12,929 per day, breaking the record for new cases last set at 9,779 on November 20.
The total number of cases in the State on Wednesday was 1,507,338 and the deaths, which increased by 338 since Monday, was now at 26,988 total statewide. (232 of the 338 new deaths reported Wednesday were identified during a review of vital records)
Recoveries, last totaled on December 22, were at 1,241,728.
The number of Michiganders (age 5 and older) that are fully vaccinated against COVID as of Tuesday, was 5,398,758, and the number of state residents 15 and older who have had at least one dose of the vaccine as of Monday was 6,308,784.
Across the United States, the total number of cases at nearly the end of 2021 numbered 54,394,762 or 16.29 percent of the population. New cases numbered 234,145. Deaths in the U.S. totaled 843,212 with 983 new deaths. The total recovered across the country was 41,373,823 including an increase of 234,145 since Monday.
Locally, the total number of cases as of Wednesday in the Central Michigan District Health Department was 30,384 with a total of 596 deaths recorded. On December 22, just a week earlier, the total was 25,444 cases for a nearly 5,000 increase in seven days.
In the CMDHD’s six counties the numbers on Wednesday were:
*Arenac 2,353 cases with 51 deaths;
*Clare 5,102 cases and 131 deaths;
*Gladwin 4,110 cases and 94 deaths;
*Isabella 11,315 cases and 160 deaths;
*Osceola 3,872 cases with 61 deaths;
*Roscommon 3,632 cases with 99 deaths
In neighboring counties on the 29th:
Midland had 13,425 cases and 181 deaths; Mecosta had 6,349 cases and 85 deaths;
and Missaukee had 2,233 cases and 46 deaths.