Map: Southfield area tops in Oakland County for COVID-19 cases

A new map of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Oakland County broken down by ZIP code shows cases concentrated in and around the Southfield area, but officials say people shouldn't read too much into the numbers just yet.

Oakland County Executive David Coulter unveiled the online map on Monday. As of early Wednesday, it showed that 539 of the county's 1,570 mapped cases were in five ZIP codes covering portions of Southfield, Lathrup Village and Oak Park.

While those ZIP codes accounted for one-third of the county's cases at that point, they're home to about 10% of the county's population, according to the county's own data. Southfield is the county's fourth largest city with an estimated population in 2018 of about 73,160 residents.

It's unclear why some municipalities in Oakland County appear to have higher rates of cases than others, said Leigh-Anne Stafford, health officer for the county's health division.

"At this time, it’s really hard to say because the testing has really been so limited," Stafford said Tuesday. "And the restrictions on the testing have been so limited.”

The county's numbers show that five ZIP codes in southern Oakland County — 48076, 48035, 48033, 48237 and 48075 — have confirmed case rates ranging from 0.48% to 0.53%. The county's more than 60 other ZIP codes have case rates ranging 0% to 0.28%, according to the county's data.

The ZIP code map provides further insight into how the virus is surfacing in Oakland County, which currently has the second most cases of all counties in Michigan. It's behind Wayne County.

But Stafford cautioned that just because confirmed cases haven't shown up in a particular area of the county yet doesn't mean the virus hasn't reached the area.

The map is based on a confirmed patient's home address, not where people work and travel to, she said. People all over the county should take the social distancing recommendations seriously, she added.

"It’s just as important in Holly as it is in Southfield and Oak Park," Stafford said.

Coulter echoed the idea at a Monday press conference, saying COVID-19 is "in every community in Oakland County."

"COVID-19 is not a respecter of age or race or income or nationality. We know this. All of us must take the maximum precautions at this time," he said.

Coulter and Stafford have said possible reasons cases appear to be more heavily concentrated in the Southfield area potentially include more testing happening there and greater access to health care in that area.

Population density is greater in those areas than other places in the county, Coulter noted. The five ZIP codes with the highest rates of cases also have higher percentages of poverty than the county, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

In the Michigan Legislature, State Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, represents the ZIP codes in Oakland County with the largest rates of cases. He lives in one of the ZIP codes, he said. And his parents live in another.

In addition to the more than 70,000 people who live in Southfield, many more travel into the city for work, Moss said.

“We are a very developed city where every pocket of the city either has a neighborhood or a business in it," the senator said.

City officials are encouraging residents to limit their trips to visit others, Moss said. People can use phone calls and video applications to communicate, he added.

"If you can truly stay isolated as much as possible, that’s what’s needed," Moss said.

The top Oakland County ZIP code for cases is 48237, which includes Oak Park and had 145 confirmed cases, according to data available Wednesday morning.

Oak Park Mayor Marian McClellan declined to speculate why her city may be among the top in the county for confirmed COVID-19 cases.

“We are not doctors or scientists so we defer to those people on that issue," she said.

On Facebook, she posted about the ZIP code map on Monday.

"The oak leaf was put on our city seal to symbolize strength," she wrote. "These times are calling on us to demonstrate our humanity and courage."

cmauger@detroitnews.com