No new virus deaths reported in region

New confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been on the decline across mid-michigan for several weeks, and the clearest evidence of the lagging relationship between new cases and deaths came Friday afternoon.

For the first time since Dec. 2, no new COVID-19 deaths were announced in any of the seven mid-michigan counties. It’s also just the second day in six weeks in which no new deaths were reported.

During most of December, it was not uncommon for the Michigan Department to Health and Human Services to report new deaths in most and often all of mid-michigan’s seven counties.

Since the new year, new deaths have shown a distinct decline in numbers and in geography. For most of this week, new deaths have occurred in just two or three counties.

Friday’s announcement by the MDHHS of 94 new confirmed cases across mid-michigan was the second lowest total all week.

Of those, 13 of them were in Isabella County, which increased its cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 3,252. Fifty- one Isabella County residents have died from the disease.

An additional 12 cases were reported in Gratiot County, which increased its cumulative total of confirmed cases to 2,284. Eighty Gratiot County residents have died from COVID-19.

An additional 12 cases were reported in Clare County, increasing its cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 1,148. Forty-six Clare County residents have died from COVID-19.

Elsewhere in mid-michigan, new and cumulative cases are as follows:

• In Gladwin County, an additional five cases were reported for a cumulative total of 1,098, with 32 deaths

• In Mecosta County, an additional eight cases were reported for a cumulative total of 1,655, with 14 deaths

• In Midland County, an additional 28 cases were reported for a cumulative total of 3,747, with 47 deaths

• In Montcalm County, an additional 16 cases were reported for a cumulative total of 2,946, with 70 deaths.

Statewide, another 38 deaths were reported since Wednesday for a total of 13,132, and another 3,625 cases were reported Monday for a cumulative total of 516,376.