Hospitalizations for COVID-19 reached a new record in Calhoun County.

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It's a grim milestone. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 reached a new record in Calhoun County Monday, November 29, 2021. According to Bronson Methodist Hospital, 65 people were admitted to hospitals within Calhoun County.

It comes as pandemic records are being shattered in several areas of Michigan, leaving hospitals overwhelmed. On Monday the state reported over 25,000 new cases over five days after coming off the Thanksgiving holiday. Michigan health officials say there have not been any confirmed cases of the new Omicron variant detected in the state yet.

In an interview on Monday, Calhoun County Public Health Officer Eric Pessell told us the variant is likely already in the county. He also said regardless of the variant, he’s urging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible to deal with what is already a COVID-19 emergency in Calhoun County.

When asked about those hospitalized in Calhoun County, Pessel says the vast majority are unvaccinated but noted there were some hospitalizations among those who are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  Of those hospitalized that were immunized for COVID-19, Pessel says all were either immune-compromised or among the elderly population.

The surge in cases prompted Michigan's governor to request federal help staffing hospitals in the state. A request that was granted. The federal government will be sending two medical teams to Michigan hospitals to relieve doctors and nurses as they treat COVID-19 and other patients.

The teams will arrive this week and stay for 30 days to support staff at Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn and Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids. They will include registered nurses, doctors, and respiratory therapists, according to MLive.

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