The 4th surge of COVID-19 is continuing wreak havoc in Ottawa County, as health officials say, new cases have almost doubled over the past 14 days.
The Ottawa County Department of Public Health released the new data this week, reporting that weekly cases rose by nearly 90 percent—going from roughly 900 cases two weeks ago, to just over 1,700 last week.
Marcia Mansaray is the Deputy Public Health Officer for Ottawa County. She says the highly contagious Omicron variant is partly to blame.
“It appears that this variant is much more transmissible than the delta variant, which was already an already a very aggressive communicable disease,” Mansaray said. “So evidence indicates that if you have already had COVID-19, while it did provide some protection it may not with the Omicron variant.”
And, Mansary says despite the fact that the Omicron variant is still infecting people who have been vaccinated, the best way to stay healthy and out of the hospital is to get a third booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The news comes as disappointment to health officials in Ottawa County, as the public health department said last week it had looked like the 4th surge had at least plateaued.