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

ALPENA – Over the last month, local COVID-19 related emergency calls have decreased dramatically, according to Captain Andy Marceau, Alpena Fire Department community risk reduction officer.

Marceau said since Jan 1, 296 calls were received and only 15 of them were for breathing issues. It is not determined if all of the 15 calls for breathing issues were COVID-19 related.

“The few that we picked up still appear to be unvaccinated,” Marceau said.

Marceau said he would attribute some of the decrease to the fact the omicron variant is less severe than previous variants.

As of Thursday, 934 Northeast Michiganders were actively infected with COVID-19, while about 58.13% of Northeast Michiganders 5 and older had been fully vaccinated against the disease.

This week’s active infections — a News estimate based on cumulative infections minus deaths and those who fit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of recovered — is up from 715 active infections last week.

Meanwhile, among those 5 and older, the state says 56.6% of Alpena County residents, 61.6% of Presque Isle County residents, 55.9% of Montmorency County residents, and 58.4% of Alcona County residents have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The chart below shows the number of Northeast Michiganders actively infected with COVID-19, a News estimate based on cumulative infections minus recoveries and deaths. The story continues below the graphic.

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

In the past week, public health officials have reported 359 newly infected or probably infected Northeast Michiganders and the deaths of five Northeast Michiganders who had been infected with COVID-19.

The chart below shows the number of Northeast Michiganders 5 and older fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The story continues below the graphic.

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

The chart below shows the number of COVID-19 patients admitted at MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena. The story continues below the graphic.

As of Monday, 16 COVID-19 patients were admitted at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena, one of them in intensive care. The hospital was 84% full. That occupancy rate reflects how many of all of the hospital’s beds licensed by the state are full. However, the hospital may not be staffed to fill all of its licensed beds, so the working occupancy rate could be significantly higher.

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 10,260 Northeast Michiganders infected or probably infected, and 256 related deaths.