Michigan Reports Over 42,000 Coronavirus Cases

MICHIGAN — More than 42,000 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Michigan as of Friday morning, according to the most recent data provided by health officials. The state saw fewer than 1,000 new coronavirus cases and fewer than 100 new deaths reported.

Health officials on Friday announced an additional 977 cases of the coronavirus, bringing statewide totals to 42,356 overall. In addition, the state announced 77 new coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, bringing Michigan's death toll to 3,866.

Michigan hadn't reported fewer than 100 new coronavirus deaths since Monday.

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State numbers are released daily at 3 p.m. but are indicative of what has been reported by 10 a.m. that day.

Numbers are sometimes altered as public health officials investigate individual cases. Case numbers sometimes do not match numbers provided by respective counties due to several variables, including testing done by private organizations that report to either the state or the county but not both.

Deaths are reported by health care providers and recorded by local health departments. Other data, such as the number of individuals who have recovered at the state level, are released on Saturdays.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are several symptoms related to the coronavirus. Potential signs of the new coronavirus include fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. On Monday, the agency added six new symptoms to the list: chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and a new loss of taste or smell.

Coronavirus Remains In Detroit

State health officials reported that the city of Detroit had 9,162 cases of the coronavirus as of Friday. That number includes 1,040 deaths. Both are state highs.

While the city — much like the state as a whole — has reported the increase in coronavirus cases and deaths has slowed, officials are concerned about residents relaxing measures, opening the area up to a second wave of coronavirus spread.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan in a news conference on Friday said he has immediate concerns that people will begin easing up on social distancing due to the warm weather that the region will see in upcoming days.

"We're going to have our first really good weekend, probably, weather wise," Duggan said. "We brought this down probably faster than any city in the country because of that commitment (to taking precautions). It will go up faster than any city in the country if we abandon that commitment."

Wayne County Coronavirus Impact

Wayne County, which reports without data from Detroit, continues to lead the state in confirmed cases and reported deaths related to the coronavirus. As of Friday, the county had 7,808 cases and 762 deaths, according to state data.

The county has taken a significant hit economically, leading to authorities to announce the layoff or furlough of more than 200 county employees.

The move comes as the the county, facing a $152 million deficit due to the coronavirus pandemic, had also announced a spending and salary freeze, and is expected to save the county more than $30 million.

Oakland County Addresses Coronavirus

State health data shows 7,423 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Oakland County. The data also shows a reported 705 deaths due to the virus.

Oakland County, which, as with most southeast Michigan counties, has been hit hard by the coronavirus, has added funding to its small business relief fund and has expanded its coronavirus testing sites to address the virus's spread.

Officials recently announced $12 million was added to the county's small business stabilization fund. The added funding was approved by commissioners Wednesday night after Coulter said the initial $3 million grant package of local and state funding was quickly exhausted by struggling small businesses.

Other Data Notes

Age —The average age among Michigan's coronavirus deaths is 74.9. The oldest person in the state have died from the virus was 107. The youngest was 5. The majority of people who have contracted the coronavirus are in their 50s, with 19 percent of those patients reporting their age was between 50-59. The majority of people who died from the virus were 80 or older, according to state data. More than 41 percent of those who died were 80 years old or above.

Sex —Of those who tested positive for the coronavirus, 54 percent said they were female, according to state data. However, 54 percent of people who died from the coronavirus were male.

Race and Ethnicity —According to the most recently released state data, the majority of people who tested positive for the coronavirus (34 percent) were Caucasian. The same data reported that 32 percent of people who tested positive said they were African-American. In death statistics, 48 percent were reportedly Caucasian, with 41 percent of those who died being African-American.