COVID-19 cases on the rise

Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency officer Rebecca Burns said new cases of COVID-19 are on the rise.

During the health agency’s board meeting last week, Burns said the first U.S. case of a new variant was reported from a sample collected Aug. 3 by a lab at the University of Michigan.

The adult lived in Washtenaw County and had not traveled outside the country.

Reports of positive COVID-19 cases in Michigan are increasing, agency officials said.

There are still resources in Michigan for free testing and vaccination. Information is available on the health agency’s website. Home tests are rarely reported to public health unless the person seeks treatment or calls for emergency services.

Last week in Branch County, 911 dispatched emergency medical services to at least five locations in seven days for adults reported positive for COVID-19 with heart and breathing issues.

Through Aug. 22, the seven-day average for each Branch, Hillsdale and St. Joseph counties was four new cases.