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

District Health No. 4 announced on Friday will hold COVID-19 testing events at the Alpena Community College from 1p.m.-7pm every Wednesday in September. There will also be free testing events at Thunder Bay Junior High School on Sept. 11 and Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

More testing is needed, as a wave of COVID-19 has been seen in the area, but the number of people getting vaccinated in Northeast Michigan is slow to climb.

Fortunately there were no new COVID- 19 related deaths this week.

As of Friday, 57.4% of Alpena County residents 16 or older had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to state data.

Public health experts have said we could consider the coronavirus pandemic over once 70% of the population has been vaccinated.

The state says 61.8% of Presque Isle County residents, 55.6% of Montmorency County residents, and 57.1% of Alcona County residents have been fully vaccinated.

In the past week, public health officials have reported 41 newly infected or probably infected Northeast Michiganders and no deaths.

Since February, Northeast Michigan health officials have reported confirmed and suspected infections as one number. A person counts as a suspected infection if they’d been exposed to a confirmed infected person but hadn’t been tested, themselves — such as family members of infected people.

Northeast Michigan public health agencies have stopped reporting the number of people recovered from COVID-19, but, based on federal definitions that consider a person living 30 days after infection to have recovered from the disease, The News estimates 481 Northeast Michiganders were actively infected — and potentially contagious — on Friday.

A week ago, 398 residents were actively infected, so there is community spread occurring locally.

Other key Northeast Michigan COVID-19 statistics:

∫ As of Friday, 2 COVID-19 patients were admitted at MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena, one of them in intensive care. The hospital was 34% full. State officials watch hospital occupancy rates closely to decide whether to impose new restrictions meant to slow the spread of infection.

∫ Since the pandemic’s start in mid-March 2020, public health officials have reported 5,167 Northeast Michiganders infected or probably infected, and 140 related deaths.