(WWJ) As the governor makes moves to reopen Michigan, more people in the state continue to test positive for COVID-19.
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, there are 1,137 new cases in the state, and 103 new deaths confirmed on Wednesday. That brings the totals to 40,399 confirmed cases, and 3,670 deaths in Michigan during the pandemic.
It's a bit of an uptick, after on Monday the state reported its lowest numbers of new cases in a month.
Although health officials say the curve is flattening in the state, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stressed on Wednesday: "We remain in a state of emergency."
The governor is speaking at 3 p.m. news conference. LISTEN LIVE on WWJ.
The hardest-hit area of the state remains the City of Detroit, which has reached the grim milestone of more than 1,000 deaths. As of Wednesday, there have been 8,957 cases confirmed and 1,008 deaths in the city.
Looking at the suburbs: The remainder of Wayne County has 7,537 cases and 719 deaths. Oakland County has 7,159 cases and 668 deaths, and Macomb County has 5,430 cases and 597 deaths.
The hardest-hit area outside metro Detroit is Genesee County — which includes the city of Flint — with 1,564 cases and 180 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.
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.
Michigan's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun says 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.
This comes as more companies will be able to start work next week after a six-week shutdown under the stay-home order. The governor's office on Wednesday said commercial and residential construction will be permitted to resume next Thursday, May 7.
