LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s COVID-19 metrics have the state’s top health official “incredibly concerned,” with some numbers five times higher than they were two months ago.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, revealed updated numbers Wednesday (April 14), and they continue to trend in the wrong direction.
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“I continue to be incredibly concerned about our state’s COVID-19 data,” Khaldun said.
This week, Michigan surpassed the case and hospitalization rates that we saw in the fall, she said.
As of Wednesday, Michigan’s case rate is at 574 cases per million people -- five times what it was in mid-February.
“Data indicates we have broad community spread,” Khaldun added.
The positivity rate is also about five times what it was two months ago -- around 18%, according to Khaldun.
MDHHS is tracking 1,152 outbreaks in counties across the state, including new outbreaks in K-12 schools, manufacturing and construction, long-term care facilities, childcare facilities, retail, restaurants and bars, she said.
“Since January, we’ve identified 291 clusters associated with youth sports teams,” Khaldun said. “Since last week, we’ve also seen 52 new outbreaks in restaurant and retail settings.”
More than 18% of hospital beds are being used for COVID-19 patients across the state. She said many Michigan hospitals are now at or near capacity.
Michigan labs have identified 2,753 COVID-19 variant cases across 62 counties.
“Because of this sharp rise in cases overall, there are likely many more that we do not yet know about, which makes the risk of contracting COVID even greater,” Khaldun said.
The B117 variant -- first identified in the United Kingdom -- has been found in thousands of Michiganders. The B.1.35 variant was first found in South Africa, and multiple cases have been confirmed in Michigan. The first case of the P1 variant, from Brazil, was identified in Michigan earlier this month.
Khaldun didn’t say specifically how many instances of each variant have been confirmed.