DETROIT – The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 840,954 as of Friday, including 17,611 deaths, state officials report.
Friday’s update includes a total of 3,440 new cases and 35 additional deaths. On Thursday, Michigan reported a total of 837,514 cases and 17,576 deaths.
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Testing has been steady around 35,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate above 11% as of Friday, lower than one week ago. Hospitalizations have plateaued over the last week but remain high.
New: Whitmer announces Michigan will ease specific COVID restrictions as 4 vaccination goals are reached
Overall, new cases have slowed over the last 10 days. The state’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 3,989 on Thursday -- lower than one week ago. The 7-day death average was 68 on Thursday, slightly higher than the last two weeks. The state’s fatality rate is 2.1%. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 193,000 on Thursday. More than 626,000 have recovered in Michigan.
Michigan has reported more than 6.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered as of Friday, with 50% of eligible residents having received at least one dose while 38% of eligible residents are considered fully vaccinated.
Michigan COVID-19 vaccinations: How to find appointments, info on phases
VIEW: Chart: Michigan COVID vaccine coverage
VIEW: Tracking coronavirus cases, outbreaks in Michigan schools
Michigan will ease specific COVID restrictions as 4 vaccination goals are reached
Michigan is outlining four specific vaccination goals that, once they are reached, will directly trigger the loosening of certain COVID-19 restrictions across the state, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer revealed.
Here’s how the plan works:
- Step 1: Two weeks after 55% of Michiganders have gotten fully vaccinated, the state will allow in-person work for all sectors of business.
- Step 2: Two weeks after 60% of Michiganders have gotten fully vaccinated, the state will increase indoor capacity and sports stadiums and indoor capacity at conference centers, banquet halls and funeral homes to 25%. It will also increase capacity at exercise facilities and gyms to 50% and lift the curfew on restaurants and bars.
- Step 3: Two weeks after 65% of Michiganders have gotten fully vaccinated, the state will lift all indoor capacity limits and require only social distancing between parties, as well as further relax limits on residential social gatherings.
- Step 4: Two weeks after 70% of Michiganders have gotten fully vaccinated, the state will lift the gatherings and face masks order so MDHSS won’t broadly mitigate it unless there are unanticipated circumstances (variants that resist the vaccine, etc.).
The “MI Vacc To Normal” plan will use data for Michiganders ages 16 years and older who have received their first dose. It’s designed to get Michigan to its original goal of vaccinating 70% of the population age 16 and older.
‘We are in a public health crisis’: More children being hospitalized due to COVID
Pediatric COVID-19 hospitalization rates increased 311% between Feb. 19 and April 20 in Michigan, according to data from the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. The data shows that the number of children hospitalized with severe COVID-19 symptoms hit a high of 70 last week.
Officials say there are 1,500 pediatric COVID cases diagnosed every day.
How Michigan’s current COVID surge compares to the winter surge
The reported daily new cases and deaths have been decreasing over the past week, but the latest COVID data update from the state Thursday confirmed what everyone on the frontline can feel: COVID-related hospitalizations are still a serious issue.
As of April 19, there were 4,211 people in Michigan hospitals for coronavirus. That’s the highest number of patients since April 2020.
Health officials are also concerned about the several virus variants spreading throughout Michigan.
Michigan extends COVID rules for gatherings, masks, restaurants, entertainment venues
Michigan has extended the COVID-19 order that implemented restrictions on gatherings, restaurants, entertainment venues and more.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services extended the epidemic order through May 24. It also expanded mask requirements to include children ages 2-4 years old.
“Michigan continues to implement smart health policies and mitigation measures to fight the spread of COVID-19,” MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said. “This includes the requirement to wear a mask while in public and at gatherings, limits on indoor residential social gatherings larger than 15 people with no more than three households, and expanded testing requirements for youth sports.”
Read the latest on the restrictions here.
Michigan: All adults eligible for COVID vaccine April 5
All Michigan residents age 16 and up became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 5, nearly a month before the May 1 date pledged by President Joe Biden.
People age 16 to 49 with certain medical conditions or disabilities qualified starting March 22, when 50- to 64-year-olds began getting shots under a previous announcement. Two days later, March 24, a federally selected regional mass vaccination site opened at Detroit’s Ford Field to administer an additional 6,000 doses a day for two months.
MORE: Michigan’s updated COVID-19 vaccination schedule: Who is eligible and when
Officials say contagious COVID variant from Brazil found in Michigan as cases surge
The COVID-19 variant detected in Brazil has been identified in Bay County. That variant is known as the P1 strain and it is more contagious and more than 50% able to reinfect.
The person infected in Bay County and the people they’ve been in contact with will need to quarantine for 14 days. It’s unclear what effect, if any, it will have on those, including seniors, who have already been vaccinated as there isn’t enough research to know exactly.
Federal officials increasing COVID-19 vaccine doses available for Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement earlier this month after White House officials announced that they’re increasing COVID-19 vaccine doses available to Michigan.
The shipment at the beginning of April was increased by 66,020 bringing the then-total number of doses to 620,040 -- a weekly record for the state. Officials said the allocation includes 147,800 doses of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
This comes after Whitmer recently requested for more vaccines as the state is seeing a rise in COVID numbers.
CDC: Michigan leads country in new cases of COVID per population
The CDC said that Michigan is leading the country in new cases of COVID-19 per population.
Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge said he’s seen a very clear increase in COVID patients at the hospital where he works.
“Many of them need to be hospitalized. I would honestly say, this feels worse to me here in Southeast Michigan than it was during the wave that started in November. Now, the most concerning trend is the number of middle-aged people with severe COVID,” McGeorge said.
Michigan COVID-19 daily reported cases since April 1:
- April 1 -- 6,036 new cases
- April 2 -- 5,498 new cases
- April 3 -- 8,413 new cases
- April 4 -- 5,146 new cases
- April 5 -- 5,147 new cases
- April 6 -- 4,964 new cases
- April 7 -- 8,015 new cases
- April 8 -- 7,819 new cases
- April 9 -- 7,834 new cases
- April 10 -- 6,892 new cases
- April 11 -- 4,837 new cases
- April 12 -- 4,837 new cases
- April 13 -- 8,867 new cases
- April 14 -- 7,955 new cases
- April 15 -- 6,303 new cases
- April 16 -- 8,955 new cases
- April 17 -- 5,530 new cases
- April 18 -- 4,287 new cases
- April 19 -- 4,287 new cases
- April 20 -- 5,259 new cases
- April 21 -- 5,584 new cases
- April 22 -- 4,867 new cases
- April 23 -- 5,031 new cases
- April 24 -- 4,698 new cases
- April 25 -- 3,262 new cases
- April 26 -- 3,262 new cases
- April 27 -- 3,676 new cases
- April 28 -- 4,371 new cases
- April 29 -- 3,623 new cases
- April 30 -- 3,440 new cases
Michigan COVID-19 daily reported deaths since April 1:
- April 1 -- 49 new deaths (33 from vital records)
- April 2 -- 20 new deaths
- April 3 -- 57 new deaths (51 from vital records)
- April 4 -- 11 new deaths
- April 5 -- 10 new deaths
- April 6 -- 58 new deaths (16 from vital records)
- April 7 -- 30 new deaths
- April 8 -- 73 new deaths (43 from vital records)
- April 9 -- 26 new deaths
- April 10 -- 74 new deaths (57 from vital records)
- April 11 -- 6 new deaths
- April 12 -- 6 new deaths
- April 13 -- 74 new deaths (37 from vital records)
- April 14 -- 35 new deaths
- April 15 -- 112 new deaths (81 from vital records)
- April 16 -- 40 new deaths
- April 17 -- 69 new deaths (60 from vital records)
- April 18 -- 30 new deaths
- April 19 -- 31 new deaths
- April 20 -- 85 new deaths (33 from vital records)
- April 21 -- 45 new deaths
- April 22 -- 108 new deaths (75 from vital records)
- April 23 -- 29 new deaths
- April 24 -- 121 new deaths (91 from vital records)
- April 25 -- 17 new deaths
- April 26 -- 18 new deaths
- April 27 -- 105 new deaths (48 from vital records)
- April 28 -- 38 new deaths
- April 29 -- 109 new deaths (78 from vital records)
- April 30 -- 35 new deaths
Coronavirus resources:
- View more: Michigan COVID-19 data 📊📈
- Question about coronavirus? Ask Dr. McGeorge here.
- More: Return to School updates
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