Emergency room nurses are seen at a hospital in Grosse Pointe, Mich., on April 16. (Emily Elconin/Reuters) "Right now, our doctors and nurses are reporting the vast majority of their patients are unvaccinated or have not yet received a booster dose," the governor said in a statement. "We can all do our part to help reduce the strain on our hospital systems by getting vaccinated, making an appointment to get a booster dose and continuing to take precautions to keep ourselves and loved ones safe." Brian Peters, CEO of the statewide hospital group, said the situation is "dire" and the Department of Defence's support is "desperately needed." "Many hospitals throughout the state are operating at capacity, delaying non-emergency medical procedures and placing their emergency departments on diversion," he said. "Receiving these teams of federal caregivers can only help those hospitals." Michigan, where more than 25,000 people have died with confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases, again had the country's highest seven-day infection rate Wednesday. It reported 17,000 new cases over two days and 280 additional deaths. The seven-day daily average, 8,165 as of Tuesday, was near its highest point of the 20-month pandemic, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. Nearly 58 per cent of residents ages five and up are fully vaccinated, below the national rate of nearly 63 per cent. Roughly 27 per cent of the fully vaccinated ages 18 and older have received a booster, above the 20 per cent rate nationally.
