(WWJ) It appears there will be ups, as well as downs as Michigan continues to try to pull free of the coronavirus crisis.
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday, there are 1,052 new cases of COVID-19 in the state, and 160* new deaths reported. That brings the totals to 39,262 confirmed cases, and 3,567 deaths in Michigan during the pandemic.
This comes after on Monday the state reported its lowest numbers of new cases in a month.
The hardest-hit area of the state remains the City of Detroit, now with 8,811 cases and 988 deaths. Sounding optimistic at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said he's ready to start bringing some city employees back from furlough. First, he said, each one must test negative for the virus. (Read more).
He also noted that the field hospital at the TCF Center, which has taken in far fewer patients than expected, is expected to close sometime soon as hospitals have more free space.
Looking at the suburbs: The remainder of Wayne County has 7,362 cases and 694 deaths. Oakland County has 7012 cases and 654 deaths, and Macomb County has 5339 cases and 572 deaths. The hardest-hit area outside metro Detroit is Genesee County — which includes the city of Flint — with 1533 cases and 174 deaths. (See more county numbers on the map below).
In better news, the state is reporting 8,342 people have recovered from COVID-19 as of April 24. The recovery numbers are reported weekly by MDHHS and are defined as those alive 30 days post-onset. (This statistic is updated only once a week, on Saturdays).
Something new this week: The state is releasing information regarding nursing homes and other longterm care facilities hit hard by COVID-19. Dozens of facilities are listed. See the complete rundown of affected nursing homes, along with all the updated COVID-19 stats from the state AT THIS LINK.
Michigan's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, on Monday said she is "cautiously optimistic that we are headed in the right direction," adding, however, that Michiganders must remain vigilant and observe social distancing as the state continues to see more cases and deaths.
Tuesday morning, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called into WWJ 950 to discuss the next steps, including when auto plants may restart production. She reiterated, however, that K-12 would not reopen until at least next fall. Read more here.
The three main symptoms of coronavirus are fever, cough and shortness of breath. In order to mitigate risk of spreading COVID-19, everyone is encouraged to take action to reduce the spread, including: wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer; avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands; cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing; avoid handshakes; avoid contact with people who are sick; and stay home when you are sick. Officials are urging social distancing -- staying at least six feet away from other people -- to help flatten the curve.
Dr. Khaldun said COVID-19 testing "has doubled" in the state, and is now open to first responders, health care workers and all essential employees — even those who do not have symptoms. Testing is also available to anyone in Michigan who has even just mild symptoms. FIND A TESTING SITE.
(*A note from the state on deaths counts: Deaths must be reported by health care providers, medical examiners/coroners, and recorded by local health departments in order to be counted. So this means all 160 people reported above did not necessairly die in a single day).
