(WWJ) There are 138 new coronavirus outbreaks across the state, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services — amid growing concern about a spreading mutation.
Most of outbreaks continue to be in long-term care facilities, health officials said Monday; with 37 new outbreaks identified in those settings.
MDHHS said the second highest number of outbreaks, at 26, is in K-12 schools — including two new outbreaks at schools in Washtenaw County.
A combined total of ten coronavirus cases were reported at St. Paul Lutheran School in Ann Arbor and the Chelsea School District. There's also one outbreak in Wayne County, at Divine Child Catholic High School, with three cases confirmed there. (Get more details on school outbreaks, updated once a week. HERE).
Other outbreaks are being reported this week among Michigan's retail workers, and in health care settings and manufacturing, the health department said. (Get more details about outbreaks in the state, HERE).
Meanwhile, Michigan's top medical executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun is keeping an eye on cases of B.1.1.7, the mutated and more contagious variant of COVID-19 which was first discovered in the U.K.
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Speaking at a news conference Monday, Khaldun said at least 17 cases of the variant have been found in Michigan as Monday; 13 of those cases identified in Washtenaw County and four in Wayne County.
Khaldun added, however, "There are likely even more cases that we have not yet identified, and there's possibly spread of the variant that is happening right now."
"The good news though, this variant has not yet appeared to cause more severe disease, our current test can identify it, and our current vaccines appear to work against it," she said.
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Also on the good news front, Khaldun said the state has continued to see progress in the battle vs. COVID-19.
Khaldun said virus case rates reached 203 cases per million, which was down 72% from the November peak. Test positivity and COVID-19 hospitalizations are also trending down, she said. with the positivity rate at 6.2% and hospitalizations at 9.2%.
All of this comes as many students are returning for in-person learning in Michigan, and some virus-related restrictions are set to be lifted in one week, on Feb. 1. This includes the state's ban on indoor dining.
On Monday, MDHHS reported a total of 3,011 new cases of COVID-19, and 35 additional deaths in Michigan, for Sunday and Monday combined. This brings the state's total cases to 551,080 and 14,326 deaths since March, 2020, which the counting began.
Find more on the latest coronavirus data for Michigan at this link. Visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine for the most recent information on the vaccine in Michigan
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