COVID Cases In Berrien County Trending Down

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The COVID-19 situation in Berrien County has improved markedly since its worst point in November. Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten told the Berrien County Board of Health Wednesday Christmas and New Years have not caused an apparent spike in local COVID cases.

“On the whole, we are trending downward in terms of cases, and now we’re sitting between 35 and 45 new cases per day,” Britten said.

Britten said the percent of tests that come back positive is hovering around 10% in Berrien County, whereas it was about 20% five or six weeks ago. Hospitalizations are also down.

“I think our healthcare workers are still definitely feeling the stress and the strain of more people in the hospital, more cases, but there has definitely been relief over the last few weeks, and it’s very welcome relief.”

Britten said she’s grateful to be able to say that. Of fatalities, Berrien County Medical Director Rick Johansen noted Tuesday every Berrien County resident who has died from COVID-19 had co-morbidities, and more than half of the county’s COVID deaths have been in patients over the age of 80.