Live Friday: Gov. Whitmer to provide update amid Michigan COVID crisis
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is holding a news conference Friday morning to provide an update on the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as conditions worsen across the state.
Whitmer’s update comes as Michigan leads the nation in virus spread, reporting the highest COVID case rate of any state over the last week. Coronavirus infections have been rapidly increasing across the state since mid-February, nearing numbers last seen during the November surge and the onset of the pandemic.
The state is currently racing between COVID vaccinations and cases, but, unfortunately, the cases are winning: 63 of 83 Michigan counties saw double digit increases in positivity rates within the last week.
Learn more and watch the live stream here at 10 a.m.
Bill passed by Republican-controlled Senate would trigger restaurant restrictions in Michigan
Multiple state COVID data points are severe enough that under a bill passed in the Michigan’s Republican-controlled Senate, the data would trigger a shutdown of indoor dining.
Under the current bill -- which has not gone through the House -- along with the current surge in COVID, it would automatically trigger a roll back to 25% density or a likely shutdown of indoor dining.
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List of Michigan’s 10 most dangerous roads
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Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, dies at 99
Prince Philip, the irascible and tough-minded husband of Queen Elizabeth II who spent more than seven decades supporting his wife in a role that both defined and constricted his life, has died, Buckingham Palace said Friday. He was 99.
His life spanned nearly a century of European history, starting with his birth as a member of the Greek royal family and ending as Britain’s longest serving consort during a turbulent reign in which the thousand-year-old monarchy was forced to reinvent itself for the 21st century.
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Coronavirus in Michigan 💉
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 723,297 as of Thursday, including 16,400 deaths, state officials report.
Thursday’s update includes a total of 7,819 new cases and 73 additional deaths, including 43 deaths identified during a review of records. On Wednesday, the state reported 715,478 total cases and 16,327 deaths.
Testing has been steady around 35,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate above 16.5% as of Thursday, the highest since early December. The state has reported an up-tick in hospitalizations over the last several weeks, now at its highest point since mid-December.
Related: Michigan’s latest COVID surge has Metro Detroit hospitals nearing capacity
Michigan’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 6,429 on Thursday -- the highest since December. The 7-day death average was 39 on Thursday, slightly higher than the last two weeks. The state’s fatality rate is 2.3%. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 129,800 on Thursday.
More than 577,000 have recovered from the virus in Michigan.
Michigan has reported more than 4.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered as of Thursday, with 38.7% of residents having received at least one dose.
Here’s a look at more of the data: