Courtesy Image An illustration of the coronavirus provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ALPENA — People not at high risk from exposure to COVID-19 or labeled essential workers may need to wait until fall to be vaccinated against the sickness, according to a tentative vaccination timeline provided by the state.

The news comes as local health officials say they can no longer request enough vaccine doses to vaccinate all eligible Northeast Michiganders.

A preliminary vaccination timeline indicates that the next eligibility group — which includes people classified as essential frontline workers and adults under 64 with COVID-19 risk factors — won’t receive vaccinations until early May. Other essential workers may be eligible beginning around the beginning of June.

Adults not in one of the initial eligibility groups will likely not be vaccinated until at least August, according to the timeline.

The timeline is expected to change based on vaccine availability, the state notes.

District health departments will no longer be able to request a weekly shipment of vaccine doses based on the number needed to vaccinate area residents, health officials reported Wednesday.

After an anticipated shipment of 1,900 doses was reduced to 500 on Friday, causing the cancellation of three vaccination clinics in Northeast Michigan this week, health officials were notified that, in future, vaccines will be allocated according to a population-based formula.

Health officials will call residents who have already registered for vaccinations as health departments are notified how many doses to expect the following week, according to District Health Department No. 4 spokeswoman Cathy Goike.

The Alpena County Board of Commissioners voted 7-1 on Tuesday to pass a resolution asking the Michigan Legislature to reel in the powers of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and state officials.

#21-03 Pandemic Resolution – Alpena County_001 by Julie Riddle on Scribd

Citing measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus enacted by state leadership, the resolution calls for Legislature to “limit the unchecked exercise and abuse of executive power” and make individuals accountable for their own and their community’s safety.

The resolution also urges Alpena County Sheriff’s Department and the Alpena County Prosecutor’s office to make prosecution of violations of orders related to the pandemic their lowest priority.

Chairman Bob Adrian, the lone Democrat on the board, said he voted against the resolution because it sets a poor example. Adrian, who is also the chairman of the District Health Department No. 4 Health Board, said not enforcing the regulations could also put residents at greater risk of contracting the disease.

“It sends a signal to the community that it can do whatever it wants and nothing will happen to them,” Adrian said. “That’s a bad message to send. If what was happening in Lansing was unconstitutional, there would be a ton of constitutional attorneys here taking action right now. This resolution was inflammatory and unnecessary.”

Commissioners Don Gilment, Bill Peterson, Brenda Founier, Marty Thomson, Dave Karschnick, John Kozlowski, and Kevin Osbourne, all Republican, voted for the resolution.

Meanwhile, slowed positive test numbers in Northeast Michigan are easing some restrictions locally. As of Wednesday, visitors will be allowed into MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena, MidMichigan Health announced Wednesday.

Visiting hours for inpatient units are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily for inpatient units and 6-8 p.m. daily for the behavioral health unit.

Public health officials on Wednesday reported seven newly infected Northeast Michiganders, including three Alpena County residents, one Presque Isle County resident, and three Alcona County residents.

Preliminary vaccination timeline

The number of Presque Isle County residents who died after being infected with the coronavirus decreased by one since Tuesday, according to numbers provided by health officials.

State data showed that, as of Tuesday, 7,355 doses of coronavirus vaccine had been administered in Northeast Michigan.

As of Monday, five people were hospitalized at MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena with coronavirus infection, including one in intensive care, according to state data. The hospital was 39% full.

As of Wednesday, 45 people were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection across the state-designated, 18-county health care region that includes Alpena, Presque Isle, and Montmorency counties, according to state data.

Since the pandemic hit Michigan in mid-March, 2,704 Northeast Michiganders have been infected, according to local public health agencies. Of those, 93 have died.

The last death was reported Tuesday.

Local public health officials have stopped tracking recoveries.

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COVID-19 vaccine: Frequently asked questions

Who’s currently eligible to receive the vaccine?

Those 65 and over, health care workers, police, firefighters, teachers and child care workers.

How do I get an appointment?

Pre-register online (preferred) at dhd4.org, dhd2.org, or clinic.meijer.com. Residents of Alpena, Presque Isle, or Montmorency counties can call 989-356-4507 and choose option 1.

What if I don’t have the internet?

The Alpena Senior Citizens Center can help. Call 989-356-3585.