Michigan Report on COVID-19 Outbreaks

May 24, 2021

The State of Michigan recently disclosed figures for where new and ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks began.

Of 1221 outbreaks for which they gave numbers, the greatest numbers occurred as follows: 364 at K-12 schools and colleges, 244 at manufacturing and construction sites, 180 at long-care facilities mostly for the elderly, 111 at retail businesses, 73 at child-care centers or youth programs, 55 in office settings, 14 at agricultural workplaces and food-processing plants.

In other words, over 88% of recent outbreaks in Michigan were at workplaces, schools and care facilities for kids and the elderly.

Only 72 were at bars and restaurants, which incidentally are actually workplaces for some, 25 linked to social gatherings, 14 to personal services and gyms, and 14 to religious services, for a total of only about 10%.

Yet throughout this pandemic very little attention has been directed by politicians, health care officials, and the news media to workplaces, schools and care facilities as sources of COVID-19, while way more has been directed at individuals “being careless” at social gatherings and the like. Exactly the opposite of what the data show!

The State of Michigan only recently began releasing this kind of data, and the news media have given it even less attention, so the vast majority of the public likely still has never seen it.

It’s no wonder corporate bosses, politicians, and officials keep this information hidden. It shows the blame for the COVID-19 pandemic lies with them, not with “careless” individuals! If the public understood that, they might demand that bosses and officials spend money on whatever measures were needed to keep people in those settings safe.