Michigan adds 1 COVID-19 death, 389 cases

Michigan confirmed one new coronavirus death and 389 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday — the largest single-day case tally this month.

The number of new, known infections in the state has ticked up over the last 10 days after falling for weeks.

Health officials attribute the recent growth to an increase in testing and to clusters of outbreaks in counties such as Ingham and Bay, as well as farms and factories in Branch, Lapeer, Oceana and Newaygo counties.

The average number of new cases for the past seven days is up to 267 a day from an average of 158 a day for the previous seven-day period, according to state data. 

Hospitalizations due to the disease in Michigan had not increased significantly through Thursday, and the percentage of those testing positive for the virus stands at 2.55%. 

Before Friday, the last time daily information from the state included only one death was on March 19 after the first fatality tied to the virus was reported here.

Of the 10 counties that have confirmed the most COVID-19 cases per capita this month, seven are in west Michigan, including Oceana County, with 214 cases as of Friday. 

Sixty percent of Oceana's cases  are related to outbreaks at five farms and manufacturing facilities, including 25 cases that were spread by infected workers within their homes, said Dr. Jennifer Morse, medical director for the health district covering 10 counties, including Oceana. 

Two of the outbreaks were large, with 120 cases tied to two facilities, she said. 

Newaygo County has had smaller outbreaks at seven facilities tied to 35 cases, representing 22% of the county's 157 cases, Morse said. 

Officials said public health nurses are working with the businesses to ensure they have the resources they need, are screening other employees, checking temperatures as needed and helping to arrange testing for co-workers. 

In some cases, the virus spreads in group housing for migrant workers or because of several generations of families living together, according to health officials.

Some farm workers go to work ill, while others have trouble going home if they're sick due to "work pressures" from their employer, she told reporters on a Friday call. 

"Certainly, we've had outbreaks in other counties, as well, with migrant populations where there's a fear of not working because of fear of losing work and being replaced. There's no availability for sick leave, even through the COVID age," Morse said. 

"We have worked really hard from the beginning to basically do the most good with the least damage. Sometimes you have to bend things a little bit to contain things to one farm rather than the fear of someone taking work at another farm and potentially spreading things further."

The Lapeer County Health Department this week reported 32 cases of COVID-19

among migrant workers, tied mostly to three camps.

To date, the state has tallied 69,329 known cases of COVID-19, including 6,634 probable cases, since the disease was first detected in Michigan in March. 

Michigan's death toll from the disease now stands at 6,134, including 246 probable deaths.

Hospitals statewide reported 347 inpatients with COVID-19 as of Thursday, including 194 in critical care and 117 on ventilators. That's compared with 324 inpatients a week ago, including 181 in critical care and 91 on ventilators. 

mburke@detroitnews.com