Stewart Doreen, MRT.com/Midland Reporter-Telegram

The Midland Health Department reported more than 300 COVID cases on Dec. 31.
Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-TelegramThe Midland Health Department reported more than 300 COVID cases on Dec. 31.
The total is a preliminary number and might be updated, but 308 cases involving people from Midland County mark the first time going back to late October 2020 that more than 300 cases were reported in a day.
The number of cases brought the total number of cases for Dec. 26-31 to 1,170, a total that already is the fourth most cases in one week and is three times more than were reported during the previous week Dec. 19-25 (390 cases). The Midland Health Department also shows two other days during the week with 200-plus cases (233 on Dec. 29 and 255 on Dec. 30). There was no report from Jan. 1-7, as of Friday afternoon.
Number of COVID inpatients at MMH increases by 25%
Midland Health reported that the number of COVID inpatients at Midland Memorial Hospital increased from 68 on Thursday to 85 on Friday.
The hospital showed the number of total inpatients (even including those not infected) rose from 212 to 229. The hospital shows 260 available rooms, which means the hospital is currently 88 percent full.
Hospital officials said Friday that all of the “COVID inpatients” are in the hospital for COVID and not something else and that 82 percent of the COVID inpatients are unvaccinated.
The positivity rate from tests at Midland Health testing areas remains over 50 percent. Midland Health reported 51.3 percent of the 1,145 tests were positive.
Cases
Dec. 26: 75
Dec. 27: 184
Dec. 28: 115
Dec. 29: 233
Dec. 30: 255
Dec. 31: 308
Cases by week
Dec. 12-18: 373
Dec. 19-25: 390
Dec. 26-Jan. 1: 1,170
Most Midland County cases in a week
Nov. 15-21, 2020: 1,342
Aug. 22-28: 1,328
Nov. 8-14, 2020: 1,289
Dec. 26-Jan. 1, 2022: 1,170
Nov. 1-7, 2020: 1,116
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2020: 1,074
Jan. 3-9, 2021: 1,013
Aug. 15-21: 1,011
Hospital impact
Patients Friday: 85 (active 79, convalescing 6)
Hospital occupancy: 229 of 260 rooms
COVID census by age group
0-19: 3
20-29: 7
30-39: 4
40-49: 14
50-59: 21
60-69: 15
70-79: 10
80-plus: 10
Positivity rate
(through Thursday)
This week: 51.3 percent
Positive test: 587
Negative tests: 558