Whitmer contended Thursday at a Michigan Chronicle event that this surge is different from last fall and spring in part because of the vaccine, which has been given to nearly two-thirds of residents 65 and older — those most at risk of dying. COVID-19 hospitalizations, though higher in recent weeks, remain below the peak from December…

“It’s very troublesome and very worrisome,” said Dr. Dawn Misra, an epidemiology and biostatistics professor at Michigan State University.

She cautioned that the trend should not be blamed solely on a variant that has been identified more in Michigan than in all but one other state, Florida, noting that lags and disparities in the amount of genetic analysis being done on the virus around the U.S. make comparisons difficult.

“We’re doing a lot of things that lead to increases in risk. That’s where it’s coming from,” said Misra, who urged health officials to emphasize strategies such as double-masking.