Michigan COVID Deaths Way Down, Hospitals In Good Shape, Face Mask Mandate Expands

The rationale when Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer imposed a coronavirus epidemic “stay-at-home” order on March 23 was that it’s “the only tool that we have to fight it at the moment and to support our healthcare system to respond is to give them the opportunity by buying some time.”

According to state of Michigan data, there were 543 people in state hospitals with COVID-19 as of July 13. By comparison, on April 27 there were 2,974 COVID-19 patients in hospitals.

There were 127 Michigan deaths linked to COVID-19 in the first 13 days of July. That's just under 10 coronavirus deaths a day.

By comparison, the state’s highest single-day loss during the epidemic was 232 dead from COVID-19 on April 21.

Hospital bed occupancy rates in Michigan were at 68% as of July 13, according to the state of Michigan.

In 1980, the bed occupancy rate on average was 78%. The rate fluctuates from year to year. It was between 65 and 66 percent in 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On July 10, Whitmer expanded a statewide face mask mandate to include all indoor public places and outdoors when social distancing isn't possible.