Michigan adds 21 deaths, 2,909 more cases of COVID-19

Sarah Rahal
The Detroit News

Michigan added 2,909 new COVID-19 cases and 21 more deaths Monday, including numbers from Sunday.

The additions bring the state's total number of cases to 147,806 and total deaths to 7,031. Over the two days, Sunday and Monday, the average number of new confirmed cases is 1,454 per day, the state said.

The numbers are even higher with probable cases included. Michigan has 164,123 probable and confirmed cases and 7,363 confirmed and probable deaths, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Last week was the state's biggest surge of positive cases during the pandemic when Michigan had 10,241 confirmed cases of the virus. 

The daily increases also are putting October on pace to generate Michigan's biggest month for new cases since April, when the virus peaked in the state. The daily average for new cases has increased each month since June. 

Michigan set a new daily record for reported coronavirus cases with 2,030 revealed Thursday amid fears of a potential second wave and questions of how state officials will respond. The state also added more than 2,000 cases on Friday.

While some of the COVID-19 cases disclosed Thursday were from the prior day and their reporting had been delayed because of a processing problem, the seven-day average for new cases in Michigan reached its highest point since early April.

Deaths and hospitalizations linked to the virus are also trending upward but remain well below where they were during the initial COVID-19 peak here in the spring.

As of Thursday, 1,064 adults were hospitalized with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan, an 80% increase from the 564 hospitalizations reported a month earlier.

Long term healthcare facilities continue to face consistent hurdles. As of Sunday, 9,070 residents have confirmed cases, 2,217 resident deaths. While deaths have slowed over the past two months, there has been an uptick of staff members infected: 5,322 compared to 4,100 in August.

As of Saturday, 109,539 people were considered "recovered."

"We know case numbers are going up across the state, which is why we continue to urge all Michiganders to take precautions against COVID-19, including wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands and staying home if they are ill," Lynn Sutfin, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The number of virus outbreaks was also updated Monday to include those reported as of Oct. 8.

Michigan's schools have recorded 26 new outbreaks as of Monday. Of the outbreaks, 18 were at K-12 schools. See an updated list of school outbreaks online.

Overall across the state, Michigan has 123 outbreaks, which are defined as two or more cases with a link by place and time indicating a shared exposure outside of a household.