Detroit Regional Chamber > Michigan COVID-19 Hospitalizations Doubled in 3 Weeks

Michigan COVID-19 Hospitalizations Doubled in 3 Weeks

October 8, 2020

New state data reveals that Michigan’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have tripled in the past three weeks. Further, emergency rooms have seen a 47% in COVID-19-related visits in the same period. This increase follows the seven-day rolling average of new cases reaching 879, its highest level since the end of April when it was 919. This upswing raises concerns, especially as flu season gets underway.

The uptick in hospitalization is most prominent outside of the six-county Southeast Michigan region – increasing 147% from 147 on Sept. 16 to 341 this week. The new data also indicates that the number of coronavirus patients in intensive care units rose 69% from Sept. 16. In this same period, hospitals in Wayne, Washtenaw, Monroe, Oakland, Macomb, and St. Clair counties have seen a 63% percent increase to 300 patients with COVID-19.

In the upper peninsula, Delta, Houghton, Iron, and Menominee counties have Michigan’s highest current infections rate among 100,000 people – Iron County has a rate of 81 cases for every 100,000 residents, with Delta at 64, Houghton at 50, and Menominee and Dickinson at 39 cases per 100,000 residents, as reported by Bridge Michigan. Bridge also reported that Detroit and Wayne County’s COVID-19 infection growth has been four and five cases, respectively, per 100,000 people. Oakland and Macomb counties are at a growth rate of six and nine cases per 100,000 people.