by: WOODTV.com staff
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)-Health department officials in Michigan have confirmed more than 1,800 more cases of coronavirus as the state on Wednesday tested nearly 58,000 samples for the virus.
Data released Friday, showed 1,826 more confirmed cases and 18 additional deaths linked to the virus.
Overall, the total number of new cases in Michigan Michigan since March is now 154,688 and the total number of associated deaths is 7,147.
There were 224 new cases reported in Kent County alone, bringing its total to 12,473 since the start of the outbreak. The number of deaths remained unchanged at 179.
Labs in Michigan tested 57,796 samples for the virus Thursday — the second most tests run in a single day — and 3,192 came back positive, a rate of 5.52%.
Michigan has been increasing testing capacity for months. The record for tests in a single day is 60,805, set Oct. 15.
Health department officials said even as the number of tests continues to grow, the seven-day average of positivity rates has been climbing recently. That’s the opposite of what would happen if the spread of the virus was on the decline. The average is now 5%. For the bulk of August and September, the statewide percentages were closer to 3%, the threshold that public health officials say shows community spread is controlled.
Officials also noted the seven-day average of new cases per million people per day is notably higher than it was at its last peak in April.
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