Courtesy Image An illustration of the coronavirus provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ALPENA — Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows COVID-19 hospitalizations began rising near the end of June and have continued to increase to 15,000 new admissions nationwide.

The Eris variant of the virus has been circulating throughout the nation, but officials say the increase in numbers is small compared to the amount of cases seen between 2021 and 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the week ending July 29, COVID-19 hospital admissions were at 9,056 — an increase of about 12% from the previous week.

But it’s a far cry from past peaks, like the 44,000 weekly hospital admissions in early January, the nearly 45,000 in late July 2022, or the 150,000 admissions during the omicron surge of January 2022.

It’s likely that infections are rising too, but the data is scant. Federal authorities ended the public health emergency in May, so CDC and many states no longer track the number of positive test results.

Dr. Joshua Meyerson, medical director of District Health Department No. 4, said he has seen an increase across northern Michigan, but said mandates will more than likely not happen.

Meyerson said despite the rise in cases in northern Michigan, specific numbers are difficult to pin down because many local health departments no longer regularly update their COVID-19 data, which in the past included the number of residents vaccinated, the number of cases by county and number of deaths.

“I’m not a fortune-teller, but we’re in a different place than we were during the pandemic,” Meyerson said. “People should know about the increased number of cases, especially for people who have an increased likelihood of respiratory diseases and other health issues. They may consider the potential risk for any activities they plan to participate in and plan to possibly use masks just in case.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee met on June 15 to discuss updated COVID-19 vaccines that will launch this fall. The updated vaccine is designed to work on the standard variant of COVID-19, but to also work against Omicron variants.

While the updated vaccines would be distributed later on this year, Meyerson mentioned that the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices plans to meet Sept. 12 to make a list specifying which demographics are most in need to get the shot.

“COVID didn’t go away,” Meyerson said. “There are increases that we’re seeing and a lot of people like to compare this to the flu. It’s a little different. The flu usually mutates so much in a short amount of time that we need to give an immunization each year. With COVID, we continue to see new strains, but overall the virus hasn’t altered so much.”

At the moment, officials have not set an official date for updated vaccination distribution; however, Meyerson said when they are finally available, it is safe to get the flu shot alongside the COVID-19 vaccine.

MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena President Mike Erickson said the hospital has not adjusted its guidelines on masking as of now, but said leaders observe regional testing to make informed decisions.

Meyerson mentioned the health department has flu shots available in September and recommends that people set up an appointment for one.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.