Isabella, Gratiot remain among the most Covid-active counties in Michigan

CMU’S back- to- campus COVID-19 outbreak is contained, but Isabella County remains one of the state’s, well, warm spots. And Gratiot County is right behind.

Isabella County has the state’s 13th highest seven- day rolling average of cases per 100,000 people at 10.6, according to theharvard Global Health Initiative. That number is as of Tuesday. Gratiot County, at the 14 spot, is 10.5.

Both counties are currently coded orange, the third highest of four for risk level.

Isabella County’s confirmed case count increased by five Thursday, increasing from 611 to 616, with 13 deaths. Gratiot’s remained unchanged at 227, with 15 deaths. Isabella County’s seven-day average of new cases is 7.4; in gratiot, it is 4.3.

In Isabella County, another 74 cases are considered probable, someone who was in close contact with a COVID-POSItive person and developed symptoms. In Gratiot County, that number is 36.

Both counties are also rated as Class C counties in terms of new cases on the revamped Mistartmap.com, a project collaboration between the University of Michigan’s school of public health and school of information.

The map was modified to reduce con

fusion between it and the economic recovery phase map. The categories of risk and color codes were both changed. C largely replaces what used to be mediumhigh.

Based on that map, Isabella is Category A when it comes to testing positivity rate and a seven- day average of 3.6 percent. Gratiot’s is .7 percent. The county is at a low-risk level based on that metric.

The Misafestart.com map’s data is as of Monday.

Overall, Michigan’s seven- day rolling average positive test rate, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center, is 2.7 percent. Their data was last refreshed at 3 a.m. Thursday morning.

Clare County, revised downward Thursday to 102 cases, is ranked 69 by HGHI for its seven- day new cases per-100,000 peo-ple of 1.8. with a seven day average of .6 cases per day.

On the mi safe start map, Clare is classified as rank A in terms of new cases per 1 million people at 9.3, and low risk in test positivity rate at .9 percent.

Four people have died of COVID-19 in Clare County. There have been nine cumulative probable positive cases there.

Elsewhere in mid-michigan, five more cases were reported in Mecosta County for a cumulative total of 189 with three deaths. Six more cases were reported in Midland County for a cumulative total of 283 and 11 deaths. Three more cases were reported in Montcalm County, for a cumulative total of 280, with five deaths. One more casewas reported in Gladwin County, for a cumulative total of 83, with two deaths. Statewide, another 982 cases were reported for a cumulative total of 119,597, and another eight deaths were reported for a total of 6,700. Six of those deaths were discovered during a review of vital records.

The state’s death rate — more technically known as a case fatality rate, has fallen to 5.6 percent. For most of the pandemic’s first three months, it was at 10 percent.