St. Joseph County's COVID cases up 94.6%; Michigan cases surge 27.3%
New coronavirus cases leaped in Michigan in the week ending July 17, rising 27.3% as 16,681 cases were reported. The previous week had 13,102 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Michigan ranked 42nd among states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 29% from the week before, with 947,862 cases reported. With 3% of the country's population, Michigan had 1.76% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 42 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
The Fourth of July holiday disrupted who got tested, when people got tested and when both test results and deaths were reported. This may significantly skew week-to-week comparisons.
St. Joseph County reported 72 cases and one death in the most recent week. A week earlier, it had reported 37 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 14,260 cases and 210 deaths.
​
Within Michigan, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Gogebic County, with 401 cases per 100,000 per week; Keweenaw County (331); and Iron County (244). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a high level of community transmission begins at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the highest number of new cases overall were Wayne County, with 3,041 cases; Oakland County, with 2,703 cases; and Macomb County, with 1,779. Weekly case counts rose in 73 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
​
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
​ Cases fell in nine counties, with the steepest declines in Kent County, with 885 cases from 1,408 a week earlier; in Barry County, (62 cases, from 70); and in Mecosta County, (44 cases, from 50). ​
In Michigan, ​ 160 ​ people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the most recent week. The week before that, 64 people were reported dead.
A total of 2,636,214 people in Michigan have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 37,142 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 89,542,107 people have tested positive and 1,023,799 people have died.
Note: In the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus data, cases and deaths for the Michigan Department of Corrections and the Federal Correctional Institution separately from Michigan counties.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
Michigan's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, July 17. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Last week: 1,027
The week before that: 943
Four weeks ago: 950
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Last week: 73,328
The week before that: 67,692
Four weeks ago: 57,602
Hospitals in 36 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 27 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 40 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: St. Joseph County reported 72 new COVID-19 cases this week
