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Whitmer ‘hoping to avoid’ another lockdown after Saturday’s record coronavirus cases
A Michigan state record 3,338 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Saturday. The state also reported 35 new deaths related to the disease caused by the coronavirus.
When asked Sunday about the possibility of a second shutdown due to the spike in cases, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer noted that all Michigan residents need to do their part to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“If an increase becomes so large it is going to be incredibly dangerous for all of us whether you get COVID or not. And that’s why right now we have to double down on mask wearing, on not having gatherings, having real physical distancing, insuring that we are hand washing. We have pushed our curb down in the past. The good news is we’ve learned a lot about this virus. We know what it takes, but we need everyone to do their part so we can avoid having to take steps backward. And that I think is the call to action, and that is the alarming part of these numbers. We all have to do our part in bringing these numbers down,” said Whitmer.
Related: Could the record-breaking COVID-19 numbers lead to a second shutdown for Michigan?
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❄️❄️ Two October snowfall records broken as Marquette records 8 inches of snow Sunday
Snow in October is not entirely surprising in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula -- but this much snow is record breaking.
The National Weather Service reported two broken snowfall records at their Marquette office on Sunday.
“We recorded 8.3 inches yesterday, which breaks the old record of 3.1 inches set in 1976! This recent snowfall also established a new monthly snowfall record for the month of October at our office. Total snowfall recorded for the month stands at 19.2 inches! This breaks the old record of 18.6 inches set in 1979. Weather records for the National Weather Service office located in Negaunee Township date back to 1961.”
Coronavirus in Michigan 🦠
A Michigan state record 3,338 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Saturday.
The state also reported 35 new deaths related to the disease caused by the coronavirus.
New Sunday Oct. 25: Michigan governor warns rise in cases could force state to move backward in plans to tackle COVID-19
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has now risen to 158,026 as of Saturday, including 7,182 deaths, state officials report. The state also reported 5,400 recoveries Saturday, bringing the total recovered to 114,939.
The state of Michigan no longer reports COVID data on Sundays.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said 96% of the test results being reported Saturday originated from specimens that were collected from individuals in the past five days.
“The data shows we are continuing to see alarming increases in the incidence of COVID-19 infections in Michigan. It is now more important than ever that people take this seriously,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “Wear a mask every time you are going to be around someone outside of your own household. Avoid large gatherings and maintain a safe distance from others. If rates continue like this, we risk overwhelming our hospitals and having many more Michiganders die.”
New COVID-19 cases and deaths have increased in the last month in Michigan. Testing has remained steady, with an average of more than 35,000 per day, with the positive rate around 4.5% in the last week.
Hospitalizations have increased steadily for the last four weeks, including a slight uptick in critical care and ventilator use.
Michigan’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 1,876 on Saturday, the highest it has ever been. The state’s fatality rate is 4.7%. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 36,200 on Thursday.
According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 3.3 million have recovered in the U.S., with more than 8.4 million cases reported across the country. More than 224,005 have died in the U.S.
Here’s a look at more of the data: