Michigan tops 400,000 COVID-19 cases, nears 10,000 deaths

Sarah Rahal
The Detroit News

Michigan on Monday surpassed more than 400,000 cases linked to COVID-19 since it was first detected in March.

The state reported 9,350 additional cases and 93 deaths linked to the COVID-19 virus Monday, including cases from Sunday.

The average number of new confirmed for Sunday and Monday cases is 4,675 per day.

The latest figures bring the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Michigan to 404,386 and deaths to 9,947, according to tracking by the state Department of Health and Human Services. 

Portraits of individuals who died with COVID-19 hang near the Michigan Capitol on Thursday, May 14, 2020, ahead of a protest against restrictions that aim to stem the spread of the virus.

The state set a record of 193 deaths on Saturday, surpassing the previous record of 190 set Tuesday.

Saturday's deaths include 145 identified during a delayed records review. Tuesday's total included 30 deaths identified during a review, according to state data.

Michigan reported a total of 45,015 new cases last week. It reported 47,316 new cases the previous week and established the weekly record of 50,892 cases three weeks ago.

The state was averaging nearly 84 daily cases per 100,000 people in the last week — the 10th highest rate in the country, according to ranking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the past week, Michigan has recorded the sixth-highest number of cases and third-highest number of deaths, according to the CDC.

An average of 14.1% of diagnostic COVID tests run in the state in the past week are coming back positive, according to state data. A positivity rate above 3% is concerning to public health officials.

Of the state's COVID patients, 2,585 are in intensive care units and ICU beds are at 81% capacity, according to state data from Friday. There are 1,552 patients on ventilators. 

As of Friday, 4,113 adults were hospitalized statewide with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That's compared with 2,199 COVID inpatients on Nov. 4.

While there are some signs of improvement in caseloads, the rate remains more than seven times the rate from the beginning of September, the state's chief medical executive Joneigh Khaldun said Monday.

“We know that some people will lose their battle with COVID-19 and die. Each metric takes time for us to see as the virus spreads and we know that some metrics will change sooner than others,” Khaldun said. “This virus is real. People are still coming into ERs even weeks after they’ve been diagnosed.”

The state was tracking at least 969 active outbreaks as of the week of Nov. 23. Top categories for outbreaks continue to be long-term care facilities, including nursing homes as well as manufacturing and construction sites and schools.

On Nov. 30, 221 new outbreaks were reported across the state, including 21 new retail-employee associated outbreaks, 19 office-setting outbreaks and 25 outbreaks related to construction. 

Long term care facilities and K-12 schools reported the largest number of outbreaks with 47 coming from nursing facilities and assisted living and 32 from school settings. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday extended restrictions through Dec. 20, limiting gatherings at high schools, colleges and restaurants to combat what she described as the "worst moment" yet in the pandemic. 

The policies temporarily halt in-person instruction at high schools and colleges, indoor dine-in service at restaurants and bars, and high school athletics as well as close some businesses, including movie theaters, bowling alleys and casinos.

Michigan's hospital association urged the state to extend the pause, arguing that the closure of indoor restaurant dining and in-person high school classes is "slowly stabilizing the spread of COVID-19 and leading to stabilized hospitals."

"Data is indicating slight declines in COVID-19 emergency department visits, daily admissions and total hospitalizations," the association said in a statement. "As physicians, we’re telling you: These measures are working."

Still, the hospital system continues to face staffing shortages and bed capacity concerns, the statement said. 

"Our teams on the front lines are exhausted as this second surge continues; we never truly recovered from the first," the statement said.

The state considers 197,750 people recovered from the virus as of Friday.

srahal@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @SarahRahal_