Michigan Adds 1,994 New Coronavirus Cases, 100 More Deaths

MICHIGAN — Michigan added 1,994 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 100 more deaths attributed to the coronavirus Tuesday, state health officials reported.

Tuesday's updated figures bring the statewide total of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 525,612. Michigan has reported 13,501 COVID-19 deaths to date, according to the state. Officials said 50 of the deaths reported on Tuesday were identified through a vital records review and occurred previously.

Michigan reported 4,536 new cases of the coronavirus and 47 deaths Monday, numbers that also included cases that were reported on Sunday. On Saturday, state health officials reported that 415,079 people in Michigan had recovered from the virus.

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Tuesday's coronavirus update in Michigan comes a day after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she was interested in purchasing doses of the available COVID-19 vaccines currently in storage.

In a letter to the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Whitmer said she wants to directly purchase up to 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines for Michigan instead of waiting for the federal government to allocate the doses to states.

"We remain ready to accelerate distribution to get doses into arms," Whitmer said. "Toward that end, I am writing to request permission for the State of Michigan to make a one-time purchase of up to 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine directly from Pfizer to be distributed and administered consistent with CDC guidelines and the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine."

Also on Monday, Michigan saw one of its most popular events canceled amid coronavirus concerns.

Organizers with the North American International Auto Show on Monday announced the Detroit 2021 Auto Show was canceled and the organization was shifting gears toward Oakland County, where it will host an outdoor event at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac.

"The pandemic has caused changes in our society and world in ways not previously imagined, and we all should be looking for new and highly creative ways of doing business," North American International Auto Show Executive Director Rod Alberts said.