Four deaths reported across mid-michigan

Three people were announced tuesday to have died FROM COVID-19, one each in Isabella, Gratiot and Clare counties. The three account for 14 percent of the 22 deaths reported across the state.

It is the first day since the pandemic started that someone’s death was announced in each of the three counties.

Gratiot County had gone for more than two months without a death from COVID-19. That ended Tuesday.

A woman in her 80s died of the disease, becoming the county’s 16th death, said Leslie Kinnee, spokeswoman for Mid-michigan District Health Department.

Gratiot has more deaths than any other county in mid-michigan, but hadn’t recorded one since July 20. Most of the county’s deaths came from two nursing home outbreaks early in the pandemic. The county’s case fatality rate of 5.8 percent is slightly higher than the state’s 5.3 percent.

Seven people died during at outbreak at Masonic Pathways’ Jack F. Saunders healthcare Cen-

ter, and another four died at Riverside Healthcare Center in St. Louis. Both outbreaks accounted for 58 cumulative cases between residents and staff. All of the deaths were among residents.

The elderly womanwhose death was announced Tuesday did not live at a longterm care facility, Kinnee said.

Gratiot has 272 cumulative confirmed cases of the disease, an increase of 13 from Monday’s total of 259.

Another death was also reported in Isabella County, the 15th person to die there.

Five people died in Isabella County in September, tied for themonth with the most Covid-related deaths. None were associated with the biggest driver of case numbers, the CMU returnto- campus outbreak. Isabella County has a 2.2 percent case fatality rate.

The county recorded another 12 cases Tuesday, increasing its cumulative total of confirmed cases from 665 to 677.

Clare County’s death was its fifth sincemarch.

Three more cases were announced Tuesday, increasing the county’s cumulative totals from 111 to 114. Clare County’s case fatality rate is 4.3 percent.

Another death was reported in Midland County, its 12th. Eight more cases were reported, bringing its cumulative total from 555 to 563.

Three more cases were reported in Mecosta County, increasing its cumulative total from 234 to 237, with three deaths. Gladwin County was revised down by one to 103, with two deaths. Montcalm County has 343 cumulative cases, with seven deaths.

Statewide, another 903 cases were reported for a cumulative total of 129,826, with 6,838 deaths. Of the 22 reported Tuesday, seven were identified during a search of death records.