Michigan COVID-19 case rate drops under 40 cases per 100,000 residents
Michigan public health officials reported Wednesday 3,215 new COVID-19 cases and 70 additional virus deaths over the past five days.
The latest five-day case total brought the state’s total confirmed cases and deaths to 2,083,827 and 32,923 deaths since the onset of the pandemic.
According to MDHHS, those new case and death totals represent data collected Saturday through Wednesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that Michigan’s 7-day average case rate is 39 cases per day per 100,000 residents while the state’s 7-day average testing positivity rate is fluctuating between 3-5% with over 128,000 COVID-19 diagnostic tests being performed over the past week.
According to MDHHS officials, current case rates and hospitalizations, and increased access to vaccines, testing and therapies, indicate Michigan has entered a post-surge recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. MDHHS defines this phase as, “No immediate resurgence predicted. Local and state public health will monitor conditions that could lead to future surges.”
On Monday, the state reported 21 new COVID-19 outbreaks originating in school (7) and long-term care settings (12). COVID-19 outbreaks are generally defined as two or more cases with a link by place and time indicating a shared exposure outside of a household.
State changes frequency of data reporting
Beginning this week, MDHHS will update COVID-19 case and death data on Wednesdays and discontinue reporting on the number of deaths identified via vital records review.
At this time, no other data reporting changes are planned on the Michigan COVID-19 data website aside from cases and deaths, according to Lynn Sutfin, MDHHS spokesperson.
Second booster dose
All Americans age 50 and older and those age 12 and older that are immunocompromised can now get a second COVID-19 booster if it’s been at least four months since their last booster dose.
Those eligible for a second booster dose include:
COVID-19 Community Levels
To determine if a certain community needs to strengthen their pandemic protection measures, the CDC is now looking at three key metrics including: new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days, the percent of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days.
These metrics are used to classify a county’s COVID-19 community level as low, medium, or high and are an indication of current strain on local healthcare systems. The levels are updated every Thursday.
In Michigan, as of March 31, the most recent update available, 74 of the state’s 83 counties have low or medium COVID-19 community levels using the CDC’s new criteria. Six counties are classified as high, three are classified as medium, and 74 counties are classified as low.
Hospitalizations
Statewide, there are 403 Michiganders hospitalized with confirmed positive COVID-19, an increase from the April 1, total of 397 patients and a decrease from the Jan. 15 high of 4,578 patients. Around 75% to 80% of the state’s hospital beds are occupied.
Michigan’s 7-day average of total COVID-19 hospitalizations is 377, down from 877 the previous 7 days.
Over the past seven days, the average number of Michiganders admitted to the hospital for confirmed COVID-19 on a daily basis is 50, down from 56 the prior week and down from the peak of 615 the week of April 14, 2021, according to the CDC.
As of April 6, a total of 36 Michigan hospitals were reporting critical staff shortages.
This is down from the high of 62 on Jan. 23 and slightly down from last week. Compared to this time last year, MDHHS is reporting that there are 1,563 (7%) fewer staffed hospital beds and 207 (8%) fewer ICU staffed beds.
Over the past week, Oakland County hospitals have seen an 16% decrease in the number of new COVID-19 hospital admissions compared to the previous 7 days totaling 47 patients, according to the CDC. The county’s 7-day average percentage of staffed hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients is 1.6%, a 0.3% decrease from the previous 7 days.
Wayne County hospitals have seen an 16% decrease in the number of new COVID-19 hospital admissions compared to the previous 7 days totaling 66 patients, according to the CDC.
The county’s 7-day average percentage of staffed hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients is 1.6%, a 0.3% decrease from the previous 7 days.
Macomb County hospitals have seen an 16% decrease in the number of new COVID-19 hospital admissions compared to the previous 7 days totaling 33 patients, according to the CDC.
The county’s 7-day average percentage of staffed hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients is 1.6%, a 0.3% decrease from the previous 7 days.
Find a testing or vaccination site
You can find a COVID-19 testing and vaccination site nearest you by visiting: michigan.gov/coronavirus/.
Michiganders can also still obtain free face masks and COVID-19 test kits by visiting Michigan.gov/ MaskUpMichigan and usps.com/covidtests.
The White House launched COVID.gov, a website to help Americans gain better access to vaccines, tests, treatments, and masks, as well as get the latest updates on COVID-19 in their area.
The website also features a new Test-to-Treat locator that will help people locate and access pharmacies and community health centers to get tested for COVID-19 and receive appropriate treatments if they need them.