Michigan Adds Over 600 New Coronavirus Cases, 16 Deaths

MICHIGAN — More than 79,000 cases of the new coronavirus have been confirmed in Michigan as of Tuesday, according to the most recent data provided by state health officials.

Michigan reported 669 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the statewide case total to 79,176. Officials also reported that 16 more people have died due to the respiratory illness, increasing Michigan's coronavirus death toll to 6,170.

The state had reported fewer than 500 new cases of the virus Monday, adding 488 in addition to five deaths.

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Tuesday's update comes after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pleaded to residents to continue to stay vigilant amid the coronavirus pandemic. She urged residents to continue to wear masks and to continue to social distance, actions she said have helped cut down on the number of new cases.

"What we know, too, is that this virus is still very real," she warned. "It is still very present, and we cannot let up for one second, because while we've continued to keep the numbers of deaths in Michigan low over the past several weeks, our case numbers have continued to increase since June.

"We've got to all double down and do our part right now," Whitmer added. "Please wear your mask, maintain physical distancing and get tested."

Related: Whitmer To Michiganders: 'We Cannot Let Up For One Second'

Officials said during a news conference Tuesday that the overall number of new cases has plateaued in recent weeks across the state, but regionally Michigan has seen a variety of trends.

The Detroit, Grand Rapids and Saginaw regions all have a little over 40 cases per million people per day, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said.

Meanwhile, the Lansing and Kalamazoo areas have more than 30 cases per million people each day, but have also seen a decrease as of late.

Jackson was another city mentioned by Khaldun, who said the city had seen a slow upward trend in new cases over the past six weeks.

Northern Michigan regions such as Traverse City and the Upper Peninsula are seeing under 20 cases per million people each day, Khaldun said.

Khaldun said that despite positive regional trends, overall the state has seen the percentage of positive tests slowly creep upward.

"While we're not as high as some other states across the country that are seeing a significant surge, this is something that we definitely want to continue to monitor," she said.

Detroit Summer School Students Test Positive For Coronavirus

Tuesday's news conference comes a day after the Detroit Public Schools Community District reported that it has had a total of three students attending in-person summer school classes test positive for the coronavirus.

The district, in partnership with the Detroit Health Department, said it has tested 359 students. Monday's announcement came after the district said two students tested positive for the coronavirus last week, as testing on students began following an order from a judge. One additional student tested positive after that, officials said.

"As we continue testing and monitoring for COVID-19 among the District's nearly 600 summer school participants, we're watching for indications of spread in any one school," the district said in a statement. "Currently, there is no indication of spread and the infection rate remains less than one percent, lower than the City's general population."

The district said that prior to summer school, the district established and is still following strict safety protocols to ensure the health and safety of students, families and staff.

Henry Ford Coronavirus Study

Henry Ford Health System is the only hospital system in Michigan chosen as a trial site for a new coronavirus vaccine study, the National Institutes of Health announced Monday.

Henry Ford is enrolling volunteers into this randomized double-blind study of whether a two-dose vaccine prevents COVID-19 infection in those exposed to the coronavirus. About 90 healthcare systems across the United States are working competitively to enroll a total of 30,000 volunteers to participate in the Moderna vaccine study.

The study will close to volunteers once 30,000 people are enrolled, so signing up at quickly is crucial, the health system said Tuesday.