Washtenaw County Health Department: Largest number of COVID-19 cases reported in 24 hours on Friday

“Case numbers are *incredibly* high, but we’re thankful for our county’s high vaccination rates”

FILE - In this March 19, 2021, file photo, a nurse fills a syringe with COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination site in Kansas City, Mo. The COVID-19 infections among the New York Yankees team and staff underscore that coronavirus infections are possible even after vaccination. One player, three coaches and four staff members have tested positive since Sunday, May 9, 2021. All eight were vaccinated in April or March. Only one developed any symptoms. No vaccine works 100% of the time, so sometimes vaccinated people get infected or even sick. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File) (Orlin Wagner, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Between Thursday and Friday, Washtenaw County reported 1,403 COVID-19 cases—the largest number the county has seen within 24 hours since the beginning of the ongoing pandemic.

“This is the highest case count we’ve ever had (by a huge margin),” Washtenaw County Health Department said on Twitter.

Recommended Videos



Currently, cases of the coronavirus among county residents ages 12 and older and weekly positivity rates are trending in the wrong direction, according to the Health Department’s weekly report.

Read: EMU offering free rapid COVID tests to school community

“Case numbers are *incredibly* high, but we’re thankful for our county’s high vaccination rates. Our hospitalization rates are high, but they haven’t increased at the same level as cases,” officials said.

Whether or not the high number of cases has led to serious illnesses is yet to be determined but should be known within the next few weeks, according to WCHD.

Residents are encouraged to follow preventive measures in order to keep themselves safe including:

  • Wearing a well-fitting mask with multiple layers in indoor public spaces such as surgical masks, KN95, and N95 masks, which offer more protection than cloth masks
  • Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and receiving the booster dose when eligible
  • Limit gathering
  • Avoiding others when sick

Watch: Doctors: Do not go to hospital if you test positive for COVID and are asymptomatic

Community members in need of COVID-19 testing have access to several testing sites around the county, which can be found using this list from the Health Department.

Find COVID-19 resources at www.washtenaw.org/3095/COVID-19


About the Author:

Sarah has worked for WDIV since June 2018. She covers community events, good eats and small businesses in Ann Arbor and has a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics from Grand Valley State University.