The upward trend of Michigan’s COVID-19 case count continued last week following a one-week dip in reported cases.
On Tuesday, Aug. 16, the Department of Health and Human Services identified 23,165 new confirmed and probable cases, and 103 new deaths. The state reports new totals weekly, typically on Tuesday afternoons.
Michigan’s seven-day average has climbed to 2,798 new cases per day, which is the highest average since late May. Two weeks ago, the average was 2,512 cases per day.
Meanwhile, the seven-day average for COVID deaths dropped from 15 to 12 per day during that time.
MDHHS has included both probable and confirmed cases in its totals since April 6. (A case is confirmed only when there is a positive PCR test. Cases are classified probable when there was no such tests but a doctor and/or an antigen test labeled them COVID.)
In total, there have been more than 2.73 million confirmed and probable cases, and 37,774 confirmed and probable deaths since the start of the pandemic in Michigan. Of them, 2,368,926 cases and 34,537 deaths are confirmed. About 362,861 cases and 3,237 deaths are probable.
Health officials acknowledge case counts are likely underestimates due to the transition to more at-home testing. By leaning more heavily on over-the-counter tests, residents are less likely to report their results to the local health department.
Below is a chart that indicates the seven-day average for new cases reported per day throughout the pandemic. (Can’t see the chart? Click here.)
Cases by counties
All 83 Michigan counties reported new cases last week, including 72 that reported an increases in cases week-over-week.
The following 10 counties have seen the most new, confirmed cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days: Iron (421), Clare (269), Wayne (254), Keweenaw (244), Calhoun (232), Macomb (229), Eaton (226), Kalamazoo (224), Washtenaw (223) and Saginaw (213).
Without adjusting for population, these 10 counties have seen the greatest number of new cases over the last week: Wayne (4,556), Oakland (2,581), Macomb (2,018), Kent (1,095), Washtenaw (831), Kalamazoo (585), Genesee (556), Ingham (554), Ottawa (409), and Saginaw (404).
The arrows and colors on the map below show per-capita cases compared to the previous week in Michigan’s 83 counties. Hover over or tap on a county to see the underlying data. (Hint: Drag the map with your cursor to see the entire Upper Peninsula.)
Can’t see the map? Click here.
The chart below shows new cases for the past 30 days by county based on onset of symptoms. In this chart, numbers for the most recent days are incomplete because of the lag time between people getting sick and getting a confirmed coronavirus test result, which can take up to a week or more.
You can call up a chart for any county, and you can put your cursor over or tap on a bar to see the date and number of cases.
Can’t see the chart? Click here.
Hospitalization
As of Tuesday, there were 1,075 adult and 39 pediatric patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 being treated across Michigan’s hospitals. The adult patient count declined from 1,117 last week, while the youth count climbed from 30 during that time.
Among the hospitalized patients Tuesday, 113 were receiving intensive care and 41 were on ventilators.
Health systems are still nowhere near the height of the omicron surge, which saw about 5,000 patients in the hospital as of Jan. 10. Among those patients, 860 were in the ICU and 540 on ventilators.
Deaths
While case tracking has become more challenging with the rise in at-home testing, COVID deaths remain a key indicator for public health officials.
Thirty counties reported at least one new death in the last seven days, led by Wayne with 18 and Oakland with 13. Other leading counties included Kent with nine, Macomb with eight, Genesee with seven, Berrien with three, and Ottawa, Saginaw, Monroe and Muskegon with two each.
Deaths have stayed at or below 20 per day since late March.
Below is a chart that tracks the state’s seven-day average for reported COVID-19 deaths per day over the course of the pandemic. (These are based on the date reported, not necessarily on the date of death.)
Can’t see the chart below? Click here.
Testing
In the last seven days, 20.9% of tests were positive for SARS-CoV-2. That’s down from 21.5% last week, but up from 19.4% three weeks ago.
On Monday, Aug. 15, about 21.3% of PCR tests came back positive.
Can’t see the chart? Click here.
The interactive map below shows the seven-day average testing rate by county. You can put your cursor over a county to see the underlying data.
COVID-19 vaccinations
As of Wednesday, Aug. 10, about 63.1% of residents had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, according to Michigan health department data.
About 57.9% of residents of all ages have completed their initial series, and 35.5% of individuals five and older have received a booster dose.
Approximately 24,565 children ages 6 months to 4 years old have gotten their first dose since mid-June, including about 3,100 since last week. About 10,633 of those kids have gotten their second dose to date.
Below is a chart that shows vaccination rates by county for people 5 and older. (Can’t see the chart? Click here.)
For more statewide data, visit MLive’s coronavirus data page.
To find a testing site near you, check out the state’s online test find send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
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