Waterford Today

Oakland County issued the following announcement on Jan. 7.

Record numbers of COVID-19 cases are prompting Oakland County Health Division to expand COVID-19 drive-through testing beginning next week. To make an appointment, go to www.oakgov.com/COVID and click on the COVID Testing button or contact the Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533.

Drive-through testing will be available at the following locations:

• Southfield Pavilion Parking Deck at 26000 Evergreen Rd. in Southfield from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays
• Rochester Fire Department at 277 E. 2nd in Rochester from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays
• The former Pontiac Fire Station at 348 South Blvd. West in Pontiac from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Appointments are strongly encouraged. Same day drive-up appointments, however, will be available for those who are unable to schedule an appointment. Those who opt for same day drive-up appointments may experience extended wait times. The Southfield and Rochester locations will have signage directing drive-up appointments to the "No Appointment" entrance; Pontiac has only one lane. Drive-ups will not be accepted after 3:00 p.m.

Oakland County Health Division will also begin offering booster doses for 12- to 15-year-old children on Friday, Jan. 7 following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's approval of Pfizer booster doses for adolescents. The county also continues to administer pediatric, first, second, third, and other booster doses. Appointments remain available at OaklandCountyVaccine.com or by contacting the Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533.

COVID-19 transmission remains high in Oakland County. There were more than 21,000 confirmed and probable cases from Dec. 20 – Jan. 2, 59 percent of which were ages 39 years and younger. The seven-day average of daily cases in Oakland County was 1,800 cases per day as of Jan. 5, which exceeds all previous surges. The seven-day percent positivity rate for COVID-19 tests shot up to a high of 25.5 percent.

Most new cases statewide continue to be among the unvaccinated, according to the MI COVID Response Data and Modeling Update. From Jan. 15-Dec. 3, 85.1 percent of COVID-19 cases, 88.1 percent of hospitalizations, and 85.5 percent of deaths were among individuals not fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated persons in Michigan had 4.3 times the risk of testing positive for COVID-19 and 13.2 times the risk of dying from COVID-19 compared to fully vaccinated persons.

The following is an update on COVID-19 vaccine coverage for Oakland County residents, according to the State of Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard as of Jan. 4, 2022:

• Total eligible residents 5 - 11 years old (pediatric dose): 98,739
  • Number of residents 5 - 11 years old who have received first dose: 34,246
  • Number of residents 5 - 11 years old who have completed vaccination: 24,870
  • Vaccine coverage for residents 5 – 11 years old: 34.7 percent
• Total eligible residents 12 years old and older: 1,091,389
  • Number of residents 12 and older who have received first dose: 855,181
  • Number of residents 12 and older who have completed vaccination: 783,048
  • Vaccine coverage for residents 12 and older: 78.4 percent
• Total eligible residents 16 years old and older: 1,029,737
  • Number of residents 16 and older who have received first dose: 817,514
  • Number of residents 16 and older who have completed vaccination: 748,473
  • Vaccine coverage for residents 16 and older: 79.4 percent
• Total eligible senior residents 65 years old and older: 217,676
  • Number of senior residents who have received first dose: 201,744
  • Number of senior residents who have completed vaccination: 186,097
  • Vaccine coverage for senior residents: 92.7 percent
• Total primary series doses administered within Oakland County: 1,632,395
• Total third and booster doses administered in Oakland County: 346,463

Original source can be found here.