Michigan Case Counts Spike To 2021 Highs; U.P. Adds 55 New Cases

Michigan on Thursday recorded, by far, its highest number of new daily coronavirus cases of 2021. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported 5,224 new positive tests on Thursday and 19 new deaths.

State officials also went through death certificates and matched them to previous positive test results. They added 30 new deaths to the state’s grand total.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer, however, said at an event in Detroit on Thursday that now is not the time to hit the panic button.

“We know that every action we bring back on line creates with it risk that’s inherent, and that our numbers would go up,” Whitmer said. “Here’s the thing that’s different than the spring (2020)surge,  and even the fall surge. We now know a lot more about our common enemy, COVID-19. We know that if we wear masks, and we socially distance, and wash our hands, that remains the best way we protect ourselves from COVID and the variants.”

She said no new restrictions are imminent. The governor also said that the vaccination program will continue to help in the battle against COVID-19.

Here in the Upper Peninsula, there were 55 new cases reported on Thursday. Seventeen of those were in Chippewa County and nine new positive tests were reported in Delta County. Marquette County added eight cases.

New deaths were reported in both Delta and Chippewa Counties on Thursday.

The U.P. now has 16,985 confirmed positive test results, and 397 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, since the crisis began in March of 2020.

The U.P. has had a total of 4,315 probable cases and 95 probable deaths.

Some local health departments may report different numbers on different days. We use the MDHHS numbers in our report for consistency.

The state also is reporting that 562,775 people have recovered from he virus. That is defined as being alive at least 30 days after the diagnosis or onset of symptoms.

This number is updated once a week, on Saturdays.

Michigan now has a total of 642,869 positive tests since the crisis began in March of 2020, and 15,984 deaths.

The state also has 69,524 “probable cases” and 1,019 “probable deaths” that are not confirmed by a positive test result, but COVID-19 is believed to be the cause.

UPPER PENINSULA POSITIVE CASES (DEATHS)
Alger County 284 (1 death)
Baraga County 516 (33 deaths)
Chippewa County 809 (+17) (25 deaths) (+1)
Delta County 2,744 (+9) (67 deaths) (+1)
Dickinson County 2,168 (+1) (55 deaths)
Gogebic County 962 (+2) (21 deaths)
Houghton County 2,247 (+8) (31 deaths)
Iron County 871 (+3) (42 deaths)
Keweenaw County 124 (1 death)
Luce County 134 (+1)
Mackinac County 306 (+2) (3 deaths)
Marquette County 3,562 (+8) (55 deaths)
Menominee County 1,644 (+1) (39 deaths)
Ontonagon County 374 (20 deaths)
Schoolcraft County 240 (+3) (4 deaths)

UPPER PENINSULA PROBABLE CASES (No positive test result)
Alger County 160 (4 deaths)
Baraga County 107
Chippewa County 1,112 (5 deaths) (+1)
Delta County 500 (19 deaths)
Dickinson County 250 (16 deaths)
Gogebic County 354 (28 deaths)
Houghton County 550 (8 deaths)
Iron County 61 (9 deaths)
Keweenaw County 30 (1 death)
Luce County 112 (1 death)
Mackinac County 169
Marquette County 578 (1 death)
Menominee County 275 (2 deaths)
Ontonagon County 56 (1 death)
Schoolcraft County 36 (1 death)

MDHHS STATEWIDE COUNTY BY COUNTY REPORT