Oakland County Health Division is calling on parents and guardians to get their school-age children immunized against COVID-19. About 100,000 residents ages 5-19 years old remain unvaccinated, lagging other age groups in the county. Of the 81,000-plus Oakland County residents ages 12-19 who have completed their primary series doses, only 29 percent have received a booster or third dose. For information on getting the COVID vaccine, go to the COVID-19 Vaccine webpage or contact the Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533.

Case rates among Michigan children ages 5-18 years old mirror case rates for adults 19-50, according to the MI COVID Response Data and Modeling Update for Feb. 1. The age group 10-19 years old have the second highest rate of infection in the state, especially middle and high school students.

"Nearly all children hospitalized with Omicron are either unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated," Oakland County Health Division Medical Director Dr. Russell Faust said. "Getting children vaccinated is the best way to protect them, and the community, against COVID-19."

New confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Oakland County totaled just more than 14,000 from Jan. 2-Feb.6, a 40 percent drop from the previous week's report. The 7-day percent positivity rate for COVID tests also fell from 23.0 percent to 17.9 percent in the same period. The 7-day new confirmed case average for Feb. 7 was 443 cases per day, down from a peak of 2,480 cases per day on Jan. 9.

A decline in demand for COVID-19 testing at the Health Division has accompanied the dip in new cases. As a result, the Health Division has scaled back its community drive-through COVID-19 testing sites from four days to three days a week. Testing occurs Mondays and Thursdays at the Southfield Pavilion parking deck at 26000 Evergreen Rd. in Southfield, and Wednesdays at the former Pontiac Fire Station at 348 South Blvd. West in Pontiac. Hours are 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For more information on COVID-19 testing, go to the county's COVID-19 webpage and click on the green COVID Testing button.

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 Feb. 7, 2022:

• Total Oakland County population (2020 Census): 1,274,395
  • Percentage of total population who have received first dose: 70.8 percent

• Total eligible residents 5 years old and older: 1,190,128
  • Number of residents 5 and older who have received first dose: 902,377
  • Number of residents 5 and older who have completed vaccination: 822,222
  • Primary series dose vaccine coverage for residents 5 and older: 75.8 percent

• Total eligible residents 12 years old and older: 1,091,389
  • Number of residents 12 and older who have received first dose: 863,358
  • Number of residents 12 and older who have completed vaccination: 789,778
  • Primary series does vaccine coverage for residents 12 and older: 79.1 percent

• Total eligible residents 16 years old and older: 1,029,737
  • Number of residents 16 and older who have received first dose: 824,747
  • Number of residents 16 and older who have completed vaccination: 754,074
  • Primary series dose vaccine coverage for residents 16 and older: 80.1 percent

• Total eligible senior residents 65 years old and older: 217,676
  • Number of senior residents who have received first dose: 202,175
  • Number of senior residents who have completed vaccination: 186,400
  • Primary series dose vaccine coverage for senior residents: 92.9 percent

• Total primary series doses administered in Oakland County: 1,656,722

• Total third and booster doses administered in Oakland County: 409,233