The coronavirus has officially made its way to West Michigan, as the Kent County Health Department officially confirmed three people so far have tested presumptive positive for COVID-19. Health officials made the announcement late Thursday evening, minutes before Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered all public schools closed across the state.
The three cases include two women and one man, all three who are in their 60s. Kent County health officials said all three are recovering at home and are not showing severe symptoms.
Kent County Administrative Health Officer Adam London says, it was never a matter of “if” --but “when” the coronavirus would turn up in Kent County.
“This is not a surprise to us,” London said. “We’ve been expecting this for quite some time. And this does not significantly change the recommendations that we have been communicating to the community.”
London says, those recommendations include staying home if you feel sick, washing your hands,
“And making sure we are doing the things that we can to protect ourselves, and especially the most vulnerable members of our community; those who are over the age 60, and those that have underlying health conditions.”
As of 11:30 AM on Friday, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Michigan stood at 12, with that number expected to jump at any given moment.
