State seeing decrease in new COVID-19 cases

Michigan has averaged 2,323 new confirmed COVID-19 cases per day over the past week, an 24.9% decrease from the 3,096 daily case average reported the previous 7 days.

Michigan public health officials reported Wednesday 16,262 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 33 additional confirmed virus deaths over the past seven days.

The latest seven-day case total brought the state’s total confirmed cases to 2,213,586 and total confirmed deaths to 33,461 deaths since the onset of the pandemic. According to MDHHS, those new case and death totals represent data collected Thursday, May 26, through Wednesday, June 1.

Over, 2,500 omicron BA.2 subvariant cases have been confirmed in Michigan. MDHHS officials say the highly-transmissible subvariant is causing an increase in the rate of new COVID-19 cases.

Since late April, the BA.2 subvariant has accounted for over 98% of the positive COVID-19 tests that were sequenced from Michigan cases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that Michigan’s 7-day average COVID-19 case rate is 260 cases per day per 100,000 residents, down from 293 cases per day per 100,000 residents last week.

The state’s 7-day average testing positivity rate is fluctuating between 10-15%, down from 15-20% the prior week, with over 154,000 COVID-19 diagnostic tests being performed over the past week, down from over 166,000 the prior week.

On Monday, the state reported 73 new COVID-19 outbreaks with the majority originating in long-term care settings (44). 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.

You can view the latest MDHHS response data and modeling update by visiting: michigan.gov/coronavirus.

COVID-19 Community Levels

To determine if a community needs to strengthen their pandemic protection measures, the CDC looks 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 May 26, the most recent update available, 39 of the state’s 83 counties have a low COVID-19 community level, up from the prior week total of 31, while the remaining counties have a medium (30), same total as the prior week, or high (14), down from the prior week total of 22, COVID-19 community level.

Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties are still among those counties with a high COVID-19 community level.

Hospitalizations

Statewide, there are 951 Michigan adults and children hospitalized with confirmed positive COVID-19, a decrease from the May 25, total of 962 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 904, down from 963 the previous 7 days. That’s a 6% decrease week-over-week.

The 7-day average number of Michiganders admitted to the hospital for confirmed COVID-19 is 144, down from 151 the prior week, according to the CDC.

As of May 24, a total of 37 Michigan hospitals are still reporting critical staff shortages. Compared to this time last year, MDHHS is reporting that there are 1,132 (5%) fewer staffed hospital beds and 202 (8%) fewer ICU staffed beds.

How to find COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites

You can find facilities offering free over-the-counter COVID-19 tests and COVID-19 vaccination sites nearest you by visiting: michigan.gov/coronavirus/. You can also order free COVID-19 tests by visiting usps.com/covidtests.

Facilities offering free KN95 face masks can be found by visiting Michigan.gov/ MaskUpMichigan.