COVID-19 Town Hall coincides with State of the City address

Ingham Co. Health Department schedules vaccines for ages 65-69

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Representatives from the Ingham County Health Department will participate in a “COVID-19 Town Hall” event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today (Feb. 3), giving local residents something else to watch instead of Lansing Mayor Andy Schor’s annual State of the City address at 7 p.m.

Hosted by the “Merica 20 to Life” show, which streams live on Facebook, the event will include a panel discussion on the coronavirus vaccine with Ingham County Medical Director Dr. Adenike Shoyinka, journalist Andrea King Collier and Dr. Alane Laws-Barker, a top official at Sparrow.

Questions will be answered live and can be submitted via email to merica20tolife@gmail.com.

The Health Department started offering COVID-19 vaccination appointments to people 65 to 69 years old on Friday, but officials caution that the demand still outpaces current supplies.

The latest county data shows that about 12,500 vaccines have been distributed through the Health Department to first responders, teachers, healthcare workers and those ages 70 and older. Still, officials estimate there are still about 80,000 people eligible for the vaccine in Ingham County and the Health Department can currently only vaccinate about 2,000 people each week.

People 65 to 69 and others who have been waiting for appointments will receive emailed links to schedule an appointment on or after Feb. 9, provided they registered to receive a shot. Visit hd.ingham.org or call the vaccine hotline at 517-887-4623 to set up an appointment.

About 4,700 more people are expected to be vaccinated in Ingham County within the next week.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced this week that the state has administered over 1 million COVID-19 vaccines to date, ranking Michigan seventh in the country in vaccine distribution. In the announcement, Whitmer also called on lawmakers to pass a $90 million appropriation of federal funds that would continue to ramp up distribution in hopes of giving 50,000 shots daily.

The state’s newly formed Protect Michigan Commission also met for the first time this week, unveiling the state’s strategy to get 70% of Michiganians ages 16 and older vaccinated “as quickly as possible” while ensuring equitable access to shots and transparency in distribution.

A batch of Moderna vaccines shipped to Michigan in mid-January that was believed to have been damaged after falling outside of its temperature range was deemed viable this week, adding another 8,900 doses back into Michigan’s supply amid concerns of a shortage.

In related news…

The East Lansing City Council adopted an emergency ordinance last week requiring compliance with public health orders after officials accidentally allowed the existing ordinance to lapse. Those who violate a public health order from the state or county could also face a civil fine of $500 under the newly renewed ordinance. This version is also set to remain in place indefinitely.

Michigan State University announced a two-week “enhanced physical distancing” period for both on- and off-campus students following reports of a rise in cases on campus this week. Students are ordered to stay inside their homes and avoid gatherings until at least Feb. 13.

Local health officials reported a higher raw number of cases and rate of positive tests in East Lansing than anywhere else in Greater Lansing on Tuesday. Most infected are ages 20-29.

Violations of the order could result in $500 civil fines in the city and other discipline from MSU.

Students on University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus have also been told to stay home except to attend a reduced amount of in-person classes for at least the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, East Lansing Public Schools announced that preschool and elementary students can begin returning to in-person classes on Feb. 22. High school and middle school students are also set to return to physical classrooms after several months of online learning on March 1.

National public health experts — like Dr. Anthony Fauci — are now recommending people layer up on two or even three masks to better protect themselves against COVID-19 in the wake of several more contagious variants of the virus from the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa. Guidance now suggests that wearing two masks (or a KN95 mask) are better than wearing one. 

A CDC order issued late last month also required face masks be worn on all public transportation systems, including on rail, van, bus and motorcoach providers nationwide.

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