Jr./Sr. High students learning from home this week
TRI-CITY AREA — The current spread of the COVID-19 virus caused Dryden Jr./Sr. High School to shift to virtual learning this week.
In a statement, district leaders said the move was necessary “because of the contagious nature of the current COVID variant and the increasing number of positive cases and recommended quarantines.” Students and staff will return to face-to-face instruction January 3 immediately after the district’s winter break concludes.
In Lapeer County, 396 new cases were confirmed between Dec. 3-10, according to the latest report from the health department. During that same time period, 106 probable cases were identified and 11 residents died from the virus. The county’s 29 percent positive test rate fell slightly from the prior report’s 30.6 percent.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 remain high as well. At its peak, 29 people were in the hospital last week, with eight requiring care in the intensive care unit.
In St. Clair County, the health department reported 1,160 new COVID-19 cases between Dec. 3-10, along with 25 deaths. The county’s positive test rate stood at 24.8 percent, nearly unchanged from the week prior.
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Tuesday, Dec. 14, marked the one year anniversary of the COVID-19 vaccine being administered in Michigan.
Local health officials continue to urge residents to get vaccinated, including booster doses.
Due to the holidays, the Lapeer County Health Department’s vaccine clinic schedule will be altered.
Walk-in clinics for those ages 12-plus will be held today, Dec. 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and tomorrow, Dec. 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Next week there will be just one walk-in clinic. It’s scheduled for Monday, Dec. 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Pediatric COVID vaccinations for those 5-11 years old are available on a walk-in basis on Monday, Dec. 20 from 3-6 p.m.
In St. Clair County, vaccine appointments can be scheduled through the health department’s website, https://stclaircounty.org/pagebuilder/scchd.
Both counties continue to see their vaccination rates grow.
Lapeer’s increased from 46.1 to stand at 46.4 percent of residents being fully vaccinated as of Dec. 10. St. Clair’s went from 48.9 to 49.2 percent fully vaccinated. As of Dec. 10, 56.1 percent of all Michigan residents were fully vaccinated.
Tuesday, Dec. 14, marked the one year anniversary since Michigan began administering the COVID-19 vaccine with health care professionals getting the first doses. In one year’s time, more than six million Michigan residents ages 5 and older have received at least one dose.
