Michigan Reports 17,003 New COVID Cases Since Monday, About 844 Children Infected Every Day

By: Anna Gustafson

Nov. 24

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reported Wednesday that a total of 1,276,264 Michiganders have tested positive for COVID-19 and 23,595 have died from the virus — an additional 17,003 cases and 280 deaths since Monday.

The new numbers combine Thursday’s and Friday’s recorded cases and deaths, with an average of 8,502 new confirmed cases per day. DHHS publishes COVID-19 data three times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday.

The deaths announced include 143 deaths identified during a vital records review. DHHS conducts this review process two times per week.

According to the Covid ActNow tracker, Michigan’s COVID-19 risk level remains at “severe risk.” No other state has the same designation, which is the highest risk the tracker records.

Michigan continues to have the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, the DHHS reported Tuesday. Cases among children under the age of 12 have soared 20% since last week. Each day, about 844 children under 12 years old become infected with COVID-19 in Michigan — 140 more than last week, the DHHS said Tuesday.

COVID hospitalizations are also rising, and 9.3% of emergency department visits in the state are for COVID, up 7.5% over last week, according to the DHHS. In the past seven days, Michigan reported the highest inpatient bed utilization than any other state; last week, it was the third highest, state health officials said.

Michigan has the eighth-highest number of COVID deaths in the country; last week, it was the 12th highest, the DHHS reported.

DHHS also reports that an additional 170,966 Michiganders have been identified as “probable” cases for COVID-19, as well as 1,649 probable deaths. The department began tracking probable cases on April 5, 2020.

Combining the state’s confirmed positive cases with probable cases brings the total up to 1,447,230 statewide cases and 25,244 deaths.

The virus has been detected in all of Michigan’s 83 counties. The state’s COVID-19 fatality rate is currently at 1.9%.

As of Nov. 19, the state reports that 1,075,956 people have recovered from COVID-19.

The first two cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state on March 10, 2020. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency that day.

Johns Hopkins University reports that there are about 259.1 million confirmed cases worldwide and 5.1 million deaths. The United States makes up a significant portion of those, as 48 million confirmed cases and 774,416 deaths have been recorded nationally.

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