(WXYZ) — The CDC has placed all of southeast Michigan in the high-risk category for community transmission levels following the rise in COVID-19 cases.
Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, and St. Clair counties have been labeled high-risk.
"We've got the highest population density in Michigan so you are in contact with more people," Doctor of Infectious Disease at Beaumont Health Dr. Matthew Sims said.
Beaumont Royal Oak currently has 56 covid patients in their facility, the highest number in the state.
Doctors and the CDC are once again advising community members to wear masks.
“We are not in the endemic phase yet,” Professor of Infectious Diseases at Wayne State Dr. Teena Chopra said.
A thing to remember as the weather gets warmer and people plan their summer barbecues, tailgates, and weddings.
The CDC now recommends masks indoors at public venues and on public transit regardless of your vaccination status.
So far, this latest wave is not hitting hospital systems as hard as previous ones, but Dr. Matthew Sims says he's still seeing very sick patients.
"Our numbers have been creeping up in the hospital, slowly but surely," he said.
Monore and Lenawee counties remain in the yellow zone—medium risk.
But as metro Detroiters plans for trips up north this summer, note that several other counties including Grand Traverse are also at high risk.
Dr. Teena Chopra says the rise in cases is being fueled by the Omicron subvariant. She believes we'll see more cases in the future.
“The variants are going to emerge. We should expect that we will see new variants. They are going to be more contagious,” she said.
Only around 20% of metro Detroiters are fully vaccinated with a booster. This is among the lowest in the country.
