(WWJ) – More emergency federal healthcare workers are on the way to Michigan to help ease the COVID-19 strain on the state’s hospitals, while existing federal support will remain in the state for another 30 days.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday the federal government approved Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s request for additional staffing at Mercy Health Muskegon – the fourth hospital in the state to receive the extra help this month.
As Michigan deals with a fourth major surge of COVID-19 cases, a 17-person medical team – including a doctor, registered nurses and other healthcare workers – will arrive on Dec. 30 to support Mercy Health’s doctors and nurses as they treat coronavirus and other patients.
The support team will remain at the hospital for 30 days, MDHHS said.
The federal government sent other support teams to three other Michigan hospitals earlier this month: Beaumont Hospital – Dearborn, Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids and Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw.
Officials also announced Wednesday those support teams will remain in place for an extra 30 days.
The support teams have been called in to assist with providing monoclonal antibody treatment in addition to other support duties, according to MDHHS.
The COVID-19 omicron variant has quickly become the dominant strain of the virus across the U.S. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the variant spreads more rapidly, but more data is needed to determine whether it causes more severe symptoms.
As the omicron variant surges, Whitmer says she’s “grateful to our federal partners for their continued support that is providing much-needed relief to Michigan's hospitals and health care personnel.”
“Michigan’s health care heroes have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic for over 18 months, and I am again asking Michiganders to take steps to help reduce the strain on our hospital systems,” Whitmer said. “First, get vaccinated and if you are eligible, get your booster, to help keep you out of the hospital.”
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Officials are encouraging anyone who is traveling for the holidays or attending an indoor gathering to get tested beforehand and stay home if sick.
MDHHS director Elizabeth Hertel and other officials are encouraging Michiganders to “do their part to support our state’s health care workers” by getting vaccinated, wearing a mask in public indoor settings regardless of vaccination status, social distancing and staying home and getting tested regularly.
Whitmer on Tuesday, however, said she won’t be announcing any vaccine or mask mandates statewide, instead leaving that to local officials.
"Because this virus is mutating and spreading so quickly, every one of us is likely going to have some exposure at some point. What is our goal? To stay out of the hospital and stay alive," Whitmer said.
The governor noted “we’re in for a rough four to six weeks” as the virus surges again.
The FDA on Wednesday announced they have issued an emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s Paxlovid, the first pill for COVID-19 treatment.
Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets, co-packaged for oral use), are intended for treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in high risk adults and pediatric patients that are 12-years-old and older, weighing at least 88 pounds with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 testing.
“This pill is a powerful new tool in our arsenal to keep Michiganders safe," Whitmer said in a statement Wednesday. "With it, we will be able to help high-risk Michiganders who test positive for COVID-19 recover effectively at home without requiring hospitalization, alleviating the burden on our hospitals and health care workers."
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