Thursday, Feb. 25, coronavirus data by Michigan county: Case, positivity rates up slightly again

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For the third consecutive day, Michigan’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases is up slightly.

Michigan’s seven-day average of new daily cases is now 966 new cases a day, a 7% increase compared to an average of 901 a week ago.

The statewide seven-day average positivity rate on coronavirus diagnostic tests is now 3.5%. slightly above 3.4% from a week ago today.

Those increases are occurring three weeks after restaurants reopened in Michigan for indoor dining, along with the reopening of many schools and resumption of high school sports in recent weeks.

However, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at a press briefing Wednesday that numbers remain relatively low and the state may soon roll back some of its restrictions.

“We’re expecting to make more announcements on additional re-engagements in the coming days,” Whitmer said. “Our case numbers and public health metrics are trending in the right direction. I’m very pleased to see that. I’m feeling very optimistic.”

Whitmer hints at relaxing some COVID-19 restrictions in ‘coming days’

Below is a closer look at the county-level data, based on two of the metrics used by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

First, a look at the seven-day average positivity rates by county, grouped by the state’s metric.

  • Level E (over 20%): None.
  • Level D (15-20%): None.
  • Level C (10-15%): Keweenaw.
  • Level B (7-10%): Six counties, highest to lowest -- Kalkaska, Cheboygan, Missaukee, Gogebic, Lapeer and Huron.
  • Level A (3-7%): 44 counties, highest to lowest -- Presque Isle, Wexford, Ingham, Van Buren, Tuscola, St Joseph, Eaton, Mecosta, Calhoun, Cass, Mackinac, Newaygo, Jackson, Lenawee, Kalamazoo, Luce, Berrien, Roscommon, Hillsdale, Shiawassee, Houghton, Livingston, Macomb, St Clair, Allegan, Wayne, Crawford, Ontonagon, Sanilac, Genesee, Barry, Saginaw, Bay, Ottawa, Kent, Otsego, Clinton, Oakland, Ionia, Arenac, Grand Traverse, Montmorency, Alpena and Monroe.
  • Low (under 3%): 32 counties, highest to lowest -- Dickinson, Emmet, Gladwin, Mason, Clare, Muskegon, Osceola, Oceana, Branch, Isabella, Midland, Menominee, Lake, Washtenaw, Montcalm, Charlevoix, Benzie, Antrim, Leelanau, Iosco, Delta, Ogemaw, Chippewa, Gratiot, Manistee, Marquette, Iron, Alcona, Alger, Baraga, Oscoda and Schoolcraft.

The chart below allows you to look up any county by name to see the seven-day average positivity rate for Feb. 17-23. The chart compares the average from the past seven days to the average for the previous week.

The interactive map below shows the seven-day average testing rate by county. You can put your cursor over a county to see the underlying data.

New cases per capita

New daily cases per capita is another metric used by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to access coronavirus risk.

This metric calculates the average number of new cases per 1 million residents.

The levels for each county:

  • Level E (Over 150 cases per million): Eight counties, highest to lowest -- Keweenaw, Missaukee, Cheboygan, Sanilac, Lapeer, Gogebic, Houghton and Lenawee.
  • Level D (70 to 149 cases per million): 42 counties -- Washtenaw, Cass, Jackson, Kalkaska, Mackinac, Newaygo, Hillsdale, Barry, Leelanau, Calhoun, Eaton, Ionia, Kent, St. Joseph, Ingham, Roscommon, Bay, Mecosta, Berrien, Presque Isle, Grand Traverse, Shiawassee, Macomb, Ottawa, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Van Buren, Tuscola, Huron, Osceola, Livingston, Wayne, Oakland, Clinton, Allegan, St. Clair, Ontonagon, Antrim, Genesee, Branch, Monroe and Alpena.
  • Level C (40 to 69 cases per million): 16 counties -- Baraga, Dickinson, Gladwin, Midland, Benzie, Emmet, Gratiot, Mason, Otsego, Arenac, Oceana, Isabella, Clare, Lake, Montcalm and Crawford.
  • Level B (20 to 40 cases per million), 11 counties: Menominee, Muskegon, Montmorency, Iosco, Alcona, Chippewa, Iron, Wexford, Manistee, Charlevoix and Ogemaw.
  • Level A (7 to 20 cases per million), four counties: Delta, Oscoda, Marquette and Alger.
  • Low (Below 7 cases per million): Luce and Schoolcraft.

Here is an online database that allows readers to see the number of new coronavirus cases in the past seven days compared to the previous week, as well as the per capita number that adjusts for population. The arrows indicate whether the total number of new cases reported in the last seven days has gone up or down compared to the previous seven days.

The current scores are based on new cases reported Feb. 18-24. The map below is shaded based on the state’s six levels. The arrows indicate whether the total number of new cases reported in the last seven days has gone up or down compared to Feb. 11-17.

Readers can put their cursor over a county to see the underlying data. (Hint: You can drag the map with your cursor to see the entire U.P.)

Below are online databases that allow readers to look up county-level data for each of the last 30 days.

Overall score

Six of Michigan’s eight MI Start regions are now at a lower risk level after three months at the top level the state uses to assess coronavirus risk.

The Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Traverse City and Upper Peninsula regions were downgraded from Level E to Level D last week. That leaves the Lansing and Jackson regions still at Level E.

In assigning the risk scores, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services looks at factors such as new cases and deaths per capita, test positivity rates, number of tests administered and emergency department visits for COVID-19 symptoms.

The scale used by MDHHS has six levels -- “low” plus Levels A-E. Since Nov. 4, all eight of Michigan’s MI Start regions had been been at Level E.

(The state’s MI Start districts: Region 1 is the Detroit region; Region 2 is Grand Rapids; Region 3, Kalamazoo; Region 4, Saginaw; Region 5, Lansing; Region 6, Traverse City; Region 7, Jackson, and Region 8, the Upper Peninsula.)

Cases by day it was reported to the state

First is a chart showing new cases reported to the state each day for the past 30 days. This is based on when a confirmed coronavirus test is reported to the state, which means the patient first became sick days before.

You can call up a chart for any county, and you can put your cursor over a bar to see the date and number of cases.

(In a few instances, a county reported a negative number (decline) in daily new cases, following a retroactive reclassification by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. In those instances, we subtracted cases from the prior date and put 0 in the reported date.)

The next chart below shows new cases for the past 30 days based on onset of symptoms. In this chart, numbers for the most recent days are incomplete because of the lag time between people getting sick and getting a confirmed coronavirus test result, which can take up to a week or more.

You can call up a chart for any county, and you can put your cursor over a bar to see the date and number of cases.

More localized maps

Below are two maps created by the EpiBayes research group at University of Michigan’s Department of Epidemiology, which has access to sub-county data collected by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The interactive maps break down the state into 10 kilometer hexogons to provide more a more localized look at where coronavirus cases are occurring. You can click here to get to the research project website.

The first map looks at confirmed and probable coronavirus cases in the past week. You can click on a hexagon to see the underlying data.

You can use the triangle button at the upper right of the map to toggle to the second map, which shows total confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Latest daily report

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, the state reported 1,245 new cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.

The map below shows total confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths since the start of the pandemic. You can put your cursor over a county to see the underlying numbers.

For more statewide data, visit MLive’s coronavirus data page, here. To find a testing site near you, check out the state’s online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/.

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