GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Here is the latest information on the coronavirus in Michigan, including the number of cases state officials report and other updates affecting West Michigan.
Thursday's cases
The total number of cases is now 41,379 and 3,789 people have died, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The state reported 980 new cases and 119 new deaths on Thursday. However, 40 of those deaths have accumulated over a period longer than just the last 24 hours. The state is reviewing death certificate data three times per week and adding in those deaths as they are reviewed.
According to the MDHHS website, "If a death certificate is matched to a confirmed COVID-19 case and that record in the MDSS does not indicate the individual died, the MDSS record is updated to indicate the death and the appropriate local health department is notified. These matched deaths are then included with mortality information posted to the Michigan Coronavirus website."
The Michigan Department of Corrections is reporting 1,453 cases and 42 deaths and the Federal Correctional Institution is reporting 88 cases and two deaths.
The MDOC began mass testing at G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility this week. Last week, every inmate at Lakeland Correctional Facility was tested.
The state health department is updating the number of recoveries on Saturdays. Current data shows that 8,342 people have recovered from the virus in Michigan. This is an increase of about 5,000 from last Saturday. A recovery is counted as a confirmed COVID-19 patient who is 30 days out from the onset of their symptoms.
Michigan's case fatality rate is 9%, but health officials say this will likely decline as testing of people with mild symptoms becomes more widely available.
The state emphasizes that the report of cumulative data is "provisional and subject to change. As public health investigations of individual cases continue, there will be corrections to the status and details of referred cases that result in changes to this report." The state is also no longer reporting new cases by county.
Whitmer extends emergency and disaster declarations for 28 more days
Michigan's House of Representatives on Thursday refused to extend the state of emergency, which expires at midnight, but hours later the governor says she has now extended it by 28 days. The governor says this was possible under a 1945 law.
The emergency and disaster declarations will now expire May 28 at 11:59 p.m.
The Republican-led Michigan House has refused to extend the state’s coronavirus emergency declaration.
Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield said they instead, "voted to replace the state’s current controversial state of emergency and unilateral executive orders with similar legislation that protects the emergency measures put into place over the last two months."
Whitmer extends order keeping restaurants, bars closed
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday extended an executive order requiring places like bars, restaurants, theaters and casinos to remain closed until May 28.
Restaurants can also allow five people inside at a time to pick up orders, so long as they stay six feet apart from each other.
Protest against state of emergency extension in Lansing
Protesters gathered at Michigan's capitol building in Lansing Thursday morning to speak out against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-home order and her request to extend the state of emergency.
The current state of emergency expires Thursday, April 30. It was first declared back in March and provides the basis for more than 60 executive orders that have been issued to quickly address the spread of COVID-19. State law only allows such a declaration to last 28 days without approval from the legislature.
Whitmer said Monday she plans to extend the state of emergency by 28 days as Michigan deals with the coronavirus pandemic.
Wednesday's cases
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,137 new cases and 103 more deaths on April 29.
The statewide total is now 40,399 cases and 3,670 deaths, according to MDHHS data.
State recommendations for COVID-19
Patients with confirmed infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
The best prevention for viruses, such as influenza, the common cold or COVID-19 is to:
- If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19, call your health care provider. If you do not have a health care provider, call the nearest hospital.
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If not available, use hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
- If you are sick, stay home, and avoid contact with others.
- Stay at least 6 feet away from others when in a public setting.
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