Where Michigan stands with COVID-19 heading into Thanksgiving
DETROIT (FOX 2) - COVID-19 cases in Michigan are surging heading into Thanksgiving week.
This spike in cases and an increase in hospitalizations is leading to concerns among health officials with holiday celebrations just days away.
This led Detroit's Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair Razo to issue guidance for safely gathering during the holiday season.
Here's the latest COVID updates in Michigan:
Masks recommended regardless of vaccination status
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued an advisory Friday recommending all people wear face masks at indoor gatherings.
The advisory includes all people older than 2 regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.
It also recommends that businesses have policies requiring employees and customers to wear masks.
State leads nation in COVID cases
CDC data released Tuesday shows that Michigan has the most COVID-19 cases in the United States.
That data showed that Michigan had more than 50,311 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, which is 503.8 cases per 100,000. On Friday, that number was 589 cases per 100,000.
Michigan last led the nation in cases in April.
As of Thursday, Michigan has had 220 deaths in the past seven days.
Many states, including Michigan, are classified as having a high level of community transmission.
California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland, and Washington D.C. are classified as having substantial levels of community transmission.
Two states, Florida and Hawaii, have moderate levels of community transmission.
Hospitalizations increase
Hospitals across the state are seeing a spike in hospitalizations.
In the past three weeks, Henry Ford says its hospital system has seen a 60% rise in the number of patients hospitalized with COVID.
"We have 330 patients with COVID hospitalized across our five hospitals. We have another 35 patients with COVID or suspected Covid," said the Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for the Henry Ford Health System, Dr. Adnan Munkarah. "Our highest number of COVID patients are in Henry Ford Macomb Hospital. That has 81 patients with COVID."
Those Henry Ford numbers were as of Tuesday.
Earlier this month Traverse City-based Munson Healthcare moved its pandemic response to "red."
"It’s the first time in Munson Healthcare history that we made that decision," Chief Medical Officer Christine Nefcy. "Of course, this is the first pandemic we’ve all dealt with in 100 years as well."
Beaumont Health also reported an influx in COVID-19 patients. Last week, Chief Medical officer Dr. Nicholas Gilpin said the current surge could last 4-5 months.
West Michigan's Spectrum Health reported a 40% increase in COVID-19 patients since Nov. 1.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said he is concerned about the number of vaccinated people being hospitalized in the U.S., noting that they have not gotten booster shots.
"What we’re starting to see now is an uptick in hospitalizations among people who’ve been vaccinated but not boosted," he said Tuesday. "It’s a significant proportion, but not the majority by any means."
FDA approves booster for all adults
On Friday, the FDA approved COVID-19 booster shots for all people 18 and older.
This would allow for adults to choose to have the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine six months after their last dose. Boosters can be mixed or matched with the original vaccine received.
Before this can happen, though, the CDC needs to agree to expand the boosters to healthy young adults.
CDC scientific advisers are set to debate alter Friday.
COVID outbreaks in schools
Michigan reports new COVID outbreaks in school each Monday.
Related: MLK students stage walk-out over lack of COVID-19 safety
The state defines a COVID school outbreak as a school that has "multiple cases comprising at least 10% of students, teachers, or staff, within a specified core group" or at least three cases within 14 days of each other that did not have contact outside of school.
This week, the state reported nearly 90 new outbreaks.