WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency Health Officer Rebecca Burns shared grim news during the agency’s monthly meeting last week.
She said St. Joseph County experienced 50 new cases of COVID-19 between June 17 and 24. For comparison, there were 17 in Branch County and six in Hillsdale County over the same time period.
On June 24, St. Joseph County reported 229 cases with three deaths. In Branch County, there were 239 with two deaths. Hillsdale, which had an early outbreak, had 175 cases with 25 deaths.
Burns said the agency has spent more than $190,000 in response to COVID-19. The board amended its current budget by taking funds from programs closed or limited by the crisis to cover costs.
Immunization programs, the Women with Infant Children, and Medicaid enrollment saw funds shifted to pay for services that did not exist when the budget year started last October.
Burns added that in St. Joseph County, Grace Health Care in Three Rivers had one staff and one patient test positive for COVID. In Sturgis, Thurston Woods Village has a positive test from one staff member.
