Effective Feb. 21, the Calhoun County Public Health Department (CCPHD) will lift its remaining COVID-19 health orders pertaining to quarantine in K-12 educational settings and the general public.
Isolation orders will continue to be used in K-12 settings for students who test positive, due to the Michigan Public Health Code and existing administrative rules.
Pandemic conditions have changed considerably since local Public Health Department orders were made in September 2021. Numerous metrics of COVID-19 transmission in Calhoun are much lower than even weeks ago, and local health systems report improved capacity. Michigan is now entering a post-surge, recovery phase, which means a decrease in cases and hospitalizations and increased access to vaccines, testing, and treatment in Calhoun County.
“We're seeing that COVID-19 rates are declining in our community and threat of community surge is lessening,” said Eric Pessell, Calhoun County Health Officer. “Moving forward, our residents have the tools and knowledge to make choices that are best for their health status and risk tolerance. Please keep what you've learned in the past two years in mind as you make decisions about risk levels at home, work, and in the community, as long as COVID-19 persists in our community."
Calhoun County residents should consider the risk factors of themselves and family members, as well as vaccination status, when making the personal decision whether to mask in indoor settings in the future. Those with chronic illnesses or who are immunocompromised are at higher risk for negative outcomes from COVID-19 and would benefit the most from masking in indoor settings. Risk factors may include age, medical conditions and vaccination status.
Updated guidance is available for the general public and school settings.
