Statewide COVID rates rise for first time in five weeks

After five consecutive weeks of declines, COVID-19 rates in Michigan saw an increase in numbers reported Tuesday by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 

Those statistics show a total of 2,606,431 Michiganders tested positive for COVID-19 — an additional 14,353 cases, up from 10,681 last week. Overall, 36,918 have died from the virus, with the 174 deaths reported Tuesday more than double the 69 deaths from the week before. The average number of confirmed daily cases also increased from 1,780 to 2,050 this week.

Beginning last week, state health officials began reporting new COVID-19 numbers on Tuesday instead of Wednesday “to accommodate an anticipated change in CDC data cadence.” 

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

As of Tuesday, the state reported a total of 887 COVID-19 hospitalizations across Michigan hospitals, an increase of 110 from the previous week, while 125 adults were in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). That’s up from 93 last week.

Despite the statewide rise in cases, deaths and hospitalizations, only Iron County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula remains at a “high” community risk level. Another 17 counties, mostly in northern Michigan, have a “medium” risk level; Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Dickenson, Emmet, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Keweenaw, Leelanau, Luce, Mackinac, Manistee, Menominee and Monroe. All other counties are listed at a “low” risk level.

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.

Johns Hopkins University reports that there are about 545 million confirmed cases worldwide and 6.3 million deaths. The United States makes up a significant portion of those, as 87.2 million confirmed cases and 1,016,766 deaths have been recorded nationally.

Michigan currently has an overall vaccination rate (one or more doses) of 67.4%, putting it in the bottom third of state vaccination rates. About 60.6% of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated. Those numbers have remained flat for the past several weeks.

About 76% of the entire United States population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.