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Ohioans should avoid crossing the border to Michigan unless necessary, health commissioner says

Concern is growing over the rising positivity rate in Michigan. The Williams County health commissioner says the spike is due to faster-spreading variants.

WILLIAMS COUNTY, Ohio — Michigan is seeing a positivity rate nearly three times the national average.

Now, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is advising state officials to close things down, saying they will have a hard time trying to vaccinate their way out of it.

"For example, we know that if that if vaccines go into arms today, we will not see an effect of those vaccines depending on the vaccine for somewhere between two to six weeks," said Walensky.

Jim Watkins, Williams County Health Commissioner, says this surge is happening in Michigan because of the variants.

"When we saw the variants come along, that it is more easily spread. So I think that in many ways it's not very surprising that we see an increase in cases as a result of that," said Watkins.

Should people in northwest Ohio be concerned, being so close to the Michigan border? 

Watkins said absolutely, because the variants are already here. A big reason being that people in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan have a lot of interaction going across the state line.

"Michigan is a very close neighbor, so we have people that go there to eat, work, things of that nature every single day," said Watkins.

Watkins urges you not to go into Michigan if you don't have to. He said this is the opportunity to double down and try to take some caution in general.

"If you can avoid going places anywhere, that's to your advantage to limit your risk," said Watkins.

Gov. Whitmer has recommended, but not mandated, a two week pause in youth sports and in-person learning in high schools.

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