Community risk level rises to high as Michigan reports 20,173 new COVID-19 cases in the last week

Community risk levels are rising across Michigan as coronavirus cases continue to increase, according to a weekly report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released Tuesday.

The department reports a total of 2,708,622 Michiganders have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, an additional 16,137 cases compared to the previous week’s increase of 20,173 cases. In total, 37,671 people have died from the virus with 137 deaths reported on Tuesday compared to 106 the week prior. 

The virus has been detected in all of Michigan’s 83 counties. The state’s COVID-19 fatality rate is at 1.5% as of Aug. 2.

As of Tuesday, the state reported a total of 1,117 COVID-19 hospitalizations across Michigan hospitals, an increase of 87 from the previous week. One-hundred-twenty were in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which is up from 111 last week.

The first two cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state on March 10, 2020. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency that day.

The community risk level for Michigan is now at “high,” while 30 counties in Michigan have “low” community risk levels. There are 17 counties at “high” risk level: Baraga, Calhoun, Dickinson, Houghton, Iron, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Keweenaw, Luce, Macomb, Marquette, Mason, Menominee, Monroe, Oakland, Oceana and Wayne counties.

There are 36 counties across the state at “medium” risk level: Alger, Antrim, Arenac, Barry, Bay, Benzie, Branch, Clinton, Crawford, Delta, Eaton, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Gogebic, Hillsdale, Ionia, Iosco, Jackson, Kent, Leelanau, Lenawee, Livingston, Manistee, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Schoolcraft, St. Joseph, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Oscoda, Otsego, Roscommon, Van Buren and Washtenaw counties. 

Johns Hopkins University reports that there are about 586 million confirmed cases worldwide and 6.4 million deaths. The United States makes up a significant portion of those, as 92.2 million confirmed cases and 1,034,175 deaths have been recorded nationally.

Michigan currently has an overall vaccination rate (one or more doses) of 67.7%, putting it in the lower half of state vaccination rates. About 60.8% of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated.

About 77% of the entire United States population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.