Gov. Whitmer provides update on coronavirus in Michigan

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer provided update Thursday on the state’s handling of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Whitmer was joined by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun.

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The Detroit Region is now considered “medium-high risk” as the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to increase throughout the state.

“The Detroit Region has increased to the medium-high risk level based on case rate and percent positivity increases over three weeks,” the state says on its MI Safe Start map.

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The seven-day rolling average of cases in the Detroit Region has risen to 22 per million population, which warrants medium-high risk. The 3% positive test rate is not yet at the medium-high risk level.

Even with a rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past couple of weeks, the state’s hospitalization trend remains flat. In fact, on Wednesday the state reported its lowest number of critical COVID-19 patients since March -- 174 critical care patients. Ventilator usage is below 100.

“So far our hospitalization and death rates have not increased, but to be clear, what we have seen in other states is that hospitalizations and deaths tend to increase several weeks after cases are identified,” Khaldun said Thursday.

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