Michigan Could Hit Coronavirus Peak By Christmas, Whitmer Says

Michigan is likely in its worst stretch of the coronavirus pandemic, and the state could hit its peak of coronavirus deaths by Christmas, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday during a virtual news conference.

Whitmer's news conference came on the heals of the state announcing it had broken its own single-day record for new coronavirus cases. Michigan added nearly 7,000 new cases on Thursday. Forty-two more people in the state died from the virus as well, according to officials.

"Unless we get our act together right now, we could be hitting our daily peak of deaths in Michigan come Christmas," Whitmer said Thursday. "The numbers tell the story; last Friday, we recorded our 200,000th case of COVID-19 in Michigan. Every single day this past week, the United States has recorded over 100,000, new cases, and our country is averaging over 1,000 deaths every day.

"I just want that to sink in for a second," Whitmer continued. "Try to imagine 10 737 airplanes crashing to the ground, every single day. That's what we're facing. A 9/11 every three days."

Don't miss important updates from health and government officials on the impact of the coronavirus in Michigan. Sign up for Patch's daily newsletters and email alerts.

Whitmer said health officials had been dreading the colder months, which could mean more people visit indoors, making them even more prone to contracting the virus. November also presents challenges due to Thanksgiving, and December with Christmas. Whitmer asked residents to reconsider visiting friends and family on the holidays because it could mean spreading the virus even more.

"No one is safe from this virus," Whitmer said. "Youth will not protect you from COVID-19. Fame and wealth will not protect you from COVID-19. Our children have caught COVID-19. Our friends and neighbors and loved ones have caught it.

"Leaders everywhere (have caught COVID-19). Those here in Lansing in this state capitol, and all the way up to the White House have caught COVID-19. Nobody is immune to this disease."

A growing concern discussed Thursday by Whitmer and other health officials is the status of Michigan's hospitals, which are becoming increasingly filled due to the influx of coronavirus patients.

"If we continue at the rate we're going, our doctors and nurses will face another PPE shortage, like we saw this past spring," she said. "We cannot afford to let that happen. These are the people who stayed on the front line for the rest of us. They are the heroes of this pandemic. But no one can be a hero forever. They need our support."

Officials from hospitals across the state on Thursday said they share those concerns. The state has seen a surge in hospitalizations from the virus in recent weeks, according to the CEOs at three of Michigan's largest health systems.

Michigan has seen a 215 percent spike in hospitalizations related to the virus in the past 26 days, officials said. Meanwhile, there has also been a 146 percent increase in patients requiring ventilators, as well as a 137 percent increase in patients in hospital ICUs during that same span.

Beaumont Health CEO John Fox said the spread of the coronavirus has been accelerating and also warned over an increase in patient numbers at his hospitals. Currently, he said, Beaumont has more than 400 in-patient COVID-19 cases.

"Our in-patient volume has now tripled in less than 30 days — and again that is accelerating," he said.

Many hospitals in the state have begun reimplementing restrictions on visitors.

Beaumont hospitals in Royal Oak, Troy and Grosse Pointe began limiting the visitation of family and friends at its hospitals Tuesday as the number of coronavirus cases in the region continue to rise.

"We've had a notable rise in COVID-19 cases in metro Detroit," said Dr. Nick Gilpin, medical director of Infection Prevention and Epidemiology for Beaumont Health at the time. "Community positivity rates have jumped to 8-11% in the area. Last spring, we took care of the most COVID-19 patients in the state and we know that taking difficult steps like restricting visitors will help us keep our patients and our staff safe."

Henry Ford Health System joined other southeast Michigan hospitals adjusting their visitor policies amid a recent surge in new coronavirus cases on Wednesday.

Detroit Medical Center became the latest hospital to place temporary visitor restrictions on facilities Thursday.

Schools across the state that had begun face-to-face instruction are, in some instances, returning to virtual classes as cases spike. Detroit Public Schools announced Thursday they would be one of them.

"The District relied on science and the data to reopen schools for in person learning this summer and fall and relied on the same criterium to decide that it was no longer safe for our students and employees to work in an in person school environment," Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said.