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| Detroit News
Michigan added 1,738 new coronavirus cases and 41 COVID-19-related deaths on Tuesday as state measures for tracking infections continued to move in a positive direction.
Latest figures bring the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Michigan to 540,115 and deaths to 13,865 since the virus was first detected in March, according to the State Department of Health and Human Services.
Tuesday’s tally was the lowest number of new cases since October 21.
Data on hospitalizations, tests and new cases all moved in promising directions last week as the state appeared to pass a second wave that hit in late November. The percentage of COVID-19 tests giving positive results fell to 6.7%, from 8.9% the week before.
The state also recorded 16,452 new cases last week, down from 21,955 new cases the week before. At the end of November, the state set the weekly record of 50,892 cases.
On Monday, the state reported 1,886 adults hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, down 45% from the total five weeks earlier.
The current phase allows people aged 65 and over to receive a vaccine as well as frontline workers such as first responders, some federal and state workers, and prison and prison staff, but many health services and hospitals say they don’t have enough vaccine to meet demand. Kindergarten to Grade 12 teachers and child care providers are also eligible for immunizations.
Vaccines continue to be distributed to health workers and residents of nursing homes. Supplies are limited and run out within seven days of being received by Michigan, and “that’s a good thing,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.
“Please be patient, we don’t have enough vaccines and it takes a long time to administer, but we are building up quickly and it looks like we will come up with more vaccines soon,” Whitmer said Wednesday. “This is the best tool we need to end this pandemic. “
The state received requests for 444,306 doses of vaccine, but this week only received an allocation of 258,100 doses from the federal government to be allocated; 117,850 first doses and 140,250 second doses, said Lynn Sutfin, spokesperson for the state health department.
The Whitmer administration also announced that its “work plan” was to begin allowing indoor dining in restaurants and bars on February 1.
The plan will include capacity limits and a curfew, and the “final decision will depend on stabilizing COVID-19 data,” according to a press release from Robert Gordon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Saturday identified the state’s first case of the new variant COVID-19, B.1.1.7., In an adult female living in Washtenaw County.
The woman recently traveled to the UK, where the variant originated from, according to a departmental announcement. The person’s close contacts have been notified and are in quarantine.
► More: What we know about the COVID variant found in Michigan
Latest data
During the week of Jan. 9, Michigan dropped from the 20th highest number of cases in the country to 24th. The state continues to rank eighth in number of deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s COVID data tracker.
Michigan ranks 33rd in the country for most hospitalizations and 14th for most intensive care unit patients, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.
In Michigan, 12.1% of hospital beds are occupied by coronavirus patients, health officials said.
As of Monday, 2,114 adults were hospitalized statewide with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, including 475 in intensive care and 236 on ventilators, with intensive care beds at 74% of capacity, according to data from the State.
While Nevada, Alabama, Nevada, California, and Georgia have the highest hospitalization rates, states in the Midwest including Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan , are showing a slow decline or continued stability, according to state data.
Active cases remain the most prevalent in Wayne County, with 62,936 cases and an additional 27,563 cases in Detroit. Oakland County has 67,307 cases and Macomb 53,400.
The state’s case tracking also noted that Genesse, Ingham, Kalamazoo, Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa and Washtenaw counties have high case rates.
Vaccines deployed in stages
The vaccines will be deployed in stages. The top vaccination priorities in Michigan will be frontline healthcare workers and people living and working in long-term care facilities.
State medical director Dr Joneigh Khaldun said the process will take several months to complete at the current rate, but the general public should be prepared to receive the vaccine by the end of spring.
► More: What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccination in Michigan
“We are working hard to bring more vaccines to Michigan and identify additional locations for people who want to get vaccinated. Please don’t show up to any drop-in location, ”she said.
The virus is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths and 24 million confirmed infections in the United States.
Officials are monitoring at least 774 active outbreaks on Thursday, a drop from 887 outbreaks last week. Of the outbreaks, 128 were reported in the second week of January, including 37 in long-term care facilities.
The main categories of outbreaks remain manufacturing and construction sites, healthcare, retail, schools and social gatherings.
The state reported three more school outbreaks on January 11, adding to a list of 72 school outbreaks.
The state considers that 442,408 people have recovered from the virus on Friday.
Twitter: @SarahRahal_
Editor Craig Mauger contributed.
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