GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Here is the latest information on the coronavirus in Michigan, including the number of cases state officials report and other updates affecting West Michigan.
On Wednesday the state reported 1,058 new cases of COVID-19 and 153 new deaths. The total number of cases is now 28,059 and the virus has killed 1,921 people.
Wednesday Michigan's death toll became the third highest in the nation.
"Michigan, had the third highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the country," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. "We are not the third biggest state in the country. This is a dramatic terrible virus."
Protest against Whitmer's stay at home order cause 'gridlock' in Lansing
It's called Operation Gridlock. A protest was organized for Wednesday to show disagreement with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's recent orders during the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan.
The main order people are taking issue with is the extension of the stay at home order and what businesses are considered essential and non-essential. On Thursday, April 9, Whitmer extended that order through the end of the month and also introduced new restrictions on garden centers and stores selling furniture and paint.
The protest started at noon on Wednesday and participants were expected to stay in their cars, drive to Lansing and circle the Michigan Capitol building.
Michigan expands COVID-19 testing criteria
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has announced it is expanding testing criteria for COVID-19 to include individuals with mild symptoms, and has published a COVID-19 test site finder to help residents locate testing sites near them.
“Expanded testing is needed to learn more about how COVID-19 is spreading in our state,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “We want to make sure people know that if they have symptoms, they should work with their medical provider to be tested.”
Tuesday cases
On Tuesday, Michigan's cases of COVID-19 reached 27,001 with 1,366 new cases being reported. This is more than double the number of cases that were reported on Sunday, when state officials said the number might be lagging due to reduced weekend testing.
The state reported 166 new deaths, making the death toll 1,768. This is the second highest daily death count since the pandemic started.
On Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said they were "cautiously optimistic" about the curve seemingly starting to flatten. "Single day fluctuations in the number of confirmed cases may not be significant, as a number of external factors can affect data reporting," MDHHS said.
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