(WWJ) Detroit Mike Duggan says the city's field hospital is officially closed, unneeded as coronavirus numbers continue to trend down.
According to Thursday's update from the Michigan Department of Health Human and Human Services, there are 592 new cases of COVID-19 in Michigan, and 93* new deaths. That brings the totals to 45,646 cases and 4,343 deaths in the state throughout the pandemic. It's notable that, as testing continues to increase, numbers of newly discovered cases are decreasing.
Duggan said while they were prepared to care for as many as 1,000 patients at the makeshift hospital set up at the TFC Center in downtown Detroit, there are no patients remaining. The reason? There are now plenty of beds available at local hospitals, which were at one point at capacity amid the pandemic.
At Thursday's conference, Duggan said the week the TCF hospital opened in April, the city reported a peak of 276 deaths — and it was reasonable to expect that the hospital would quickly fill up. He credits residents for adhering to the rules, and flattening the curve.
"This was a great collaborative effort and the fact that we didn't use (the field hospital) it to the extent we planned for is really a testament to the will and commitment of the local citizens in following the 'stay home, stay safe' orders put forth," added Dr. David Strong, chief medical officer of the TCF Center. Officials said the beds will remain on standby in case there is a ramp up of cases.
The mayor noted there have only been 6 new deaths reported in the city over the last three days, which is incredibly low in comparison to in previous weeks. Detroit, however, still remains the state's hardest hit area with 9,566 cases confirmed and 1,147 deaths.
Looking at the suburbs: The remainder of Wayne County has 8,101 cases and 865 deaths, Oakland County has 7,624 cases and 789 deaths, and Macomb County has 5,876 cases and 678 deaths as of the latest count on Thursday.
Among hardest-hit areas outside metro Detroit are: Genesee County — which includes the city of Flint — has 1,731 confirmed cases and 213 deaths. In Kent County, 2,076 people have been confirmed infected, the state said, but only 41 people have died. In Washtenaw County, which includes Ann Arbor, there have been 1,140 confirmed cases and 77 deaths.
Michigan health officials are closely watching communities on the west side of the state where numbers have been trending up a bit. (Take a look at more county numbers on the map below).
These numbers come as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she is extending her stay-home order through May 28; while allowing automotive and other manufacturing to restart next week. (Details 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.
State health officials have said COVID-19 testing has more than doubled, 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 HERE.
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