Community risk levels rise as Michigan reports 20,173 new COVID-19 cases in the last week

Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in Michigan according to a weekly report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released Tuesday.

The department reports a total of 2,692,485 Michiganders have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, an additional 20,173 cases compared to the previous week’s increase of 19,653 cases. In total, 37,534 people have died from the virus with 106 deaths reported on Tuesday compared to 137 the week prior. 

The virus has been detected in all of Michigan’s 83 counties. The state’s COVID-19 fatality rate is currently at 1.5%.

As of Tuesday, the state reported a total of 1030 COVID-19 hospitalizations across Michigan hospitals, an increase of 88 from the previous week. One-hundred-eleven were in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which is up from 98 last week.

The first two cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state on March 10, 2020. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency that day.

The community risk level for Michigan is now at “medium,” while 43 counties in Michigan have “low” community risk levels. There are 12 counties at “high” risk level: Delta, Gogebic, Kalamazoo, Macomb, Manistee, Marquette, Monroe, Oakland, Ontonagon, Schoolcraft, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties. 

There are 28 counties across the state at “medium” risk level: Alger, Antrim, Baraga, Benzie, Branch, Calhoun, Cheboygan, Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Grand Traverse, Hillsdale, Houghton, Iron, Jackson, Kalkaska, Keweenaw, Lake, Leelanau, Livingston, Luce, Mason, Menominee, Missaukee, Oceana, Saginaw, St. Joseph, and Van Buren Counties. 

Johns Hopkins University reports that there are about 579 million confirmed cases worldwide and 6.4 million deaths. The United States makes up a significant portion of those, as 91.5 million confirmed cases and 1,030,891 deaths have been recorded nationally.

Michigan currently has an overall vaccination rate (one or more doses) of 67.6%, putting it in the lower half of state vaccination rates. About 60.8% of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated.

About 77% of the entire United States population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.