Cases of COVID-19 in Berrien County have been trending down while hospitalizations are steady and the county still loses someone to the illness most days. That’s information to come out of a Thursday COVID update from the Berrien County Health Department and Spectrum Health Lakeland. The big news is the COVID vaccine is now available, although in small quantities. Spectrum Health Lakeland President Loren Hamel said the group administers all shots within a week of getting them.
“We gave over 1,200 vaccines this week, and have been just absolutely coordinating with the health department to be sure we’re giving everybody that has signed up, in a fair an equitable way, a dose,” Hamel said.
Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten said the vaccine is an investment that will start to pay off this summer, once they’ve gotten it into a lot of people. She asked those who are on a waiting list for the shot to check their email each day to be ready if an appointment opportunity arises.
“We’re not scheduling appointments for first doses four weeks out,” Britten said. “It will be somewhat rapid because of the nature of the planning for this. So we’re planning for and building the capacity. The appointment slots are becoming available within a few days notice.”
More than 14,000 people are now on the county’s vaccine waiting list for those over the age of 65. Britten said people should be thinking now about how they’re going to get vaccinated. While it’s OK to be on more than one waiting list, she asks everyone not to make more than one appointment.
