LANSING, Mich. – Despite the continuing spread of a COVID-19 variant in the state, Michigan’s overall virus numbers continue to improve, according to officials.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, updated the state’s most important COVID-19 metrics during Tuesday’s briefing.
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As of Tuesday, Michigan is reporting 144 cases of COVID-19 per million population per day, Khaldun said. The case rate is steadily declining and is down 81% from the mid-November peak, she said.
The state’s percent positivity is at 4.5% and continues to decline, according to the state.
Khaldun said only 6% of hospital beds are currently occupied by COVID-19 patients. That number is down 72% since the “fall peak” on Dec. 1.
Metrics recap:
- Case rate: 144 (trending down)
- Percent positivity: 4.5% (trending down)
- Hospitalization rate: 6% (trending down)
On Tuesday, Michigan announced its lowest single-day case total since Sept. 22, and it was the first time the state has announced fewer than 1,000 cases since Oct. 6.
The number of new COVID-19 cases was 563. Since the start of the pandemic, the state has confirmed 569,980 COVID-19 cases and 14,965 virus-related deaths.
These improvements come despite the spread of the B117 variant across the state. Khaldun said there have been 45 confirmed cases in 10 different counties, as of Tuesday.