Michigan is fighting both a spike in COVID-19 cases, and a continued resistance to effective action

… As CNN reports, some Michigan hospitals are again choosing to delay nonemergency procedures as both cases and hospitalization rates for COVID-19 continue to rise. Social distancing guidelines were rolled back on March 2 in Michigan, and the state was already facing a lot of resistance (up to, and including a plot to kidnap and execute Gov. Gretchen Witmer). All of this turned out to be bad timing, as the fast-spreading B.1.1.7 variant was just becoming prevalent in the area.

Michigan has seen a sustained spike in cases that has brought the 7-day average over 7,600. That rate is actually higher than what the state saw at the peak of the Thanksgiving—Christmas spike that hit across the nation. And, as inevitably happens, the new rise in cases is now being trailed by an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.

Getting the spike in cases under control is going to to take not just medical action, but political courage. Gov. Whitmer hasn’t been issuing a flood of new executive orders, but has urged high schools to suspend in person classes voluntarily, and reminded the state that a mask mandate issued by the state health department remains in effect. In a news conference on Friday, Whitmer made it clear that tougher restrictions and better compliance is required.

“As we take a hard look at the data and observe the spread of the variants,” said Whitmer, “we all need to go above and beyond the rules we already have in place. We all have to step up our game for the next two weeks to bring down rising cases.”

The reasons for the focus on high schools comes with mounting evidence that, no matter what the view about the initial spread of COVID-19, children are playing a major role when it comes to the B.1.1.7 variant. Studies in the U.K. medical journal The Lancet, and reports from the University of Minnesota, show that as this variant spreads, not only are more children and younger adults being infected, more of them are becoming seriously ill. The overall number of patients who become critical hasn’t changed, but the people being hospitalized are now skewing younger.

Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, University of Minnesota’s Dr. Michael Osterholm made it clear that concerns about children and the now dominant variant are real. “Please understand, this B.1.1.7 variant is a brand new ball game,” said Osterholm. “It infects kids very readily.” …