Michigan to reduce COVID data reporting as cases decline

Michigan's health department announced Monday it will scale back the frequency of COVID-19 data reporting as cases continue to decline.

Starting April 4, Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services will update its COVID-19 dashboard on Wednesdays, rather than three times a week. The department is currently announcing case totals and deaths on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The state will also discontinue reporting which deaths were identified during a records review. The department is currently providing that data based on a review of death certificates.

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Since March 2020, the state has used an online dashboard to track ongoing outbreaks, hospitalizations, testing, case positivity in communities and emerging variants. 

Cases have significantly declined after peaking in January with more than 20,000 cases a day due to the spread of the omicron variant. 

The state has had 2,077,401 confirmed cases and 32,758 deaths since the virus was first detected here in March 2020.

Hospitalization rates in Michigan have been on the decline for the last nine weeks, but cases rose slightly last week.

Between March 18-24, about 3.4% of Michigan's COVID-19 tests returned positive. There is an average of 5,402 weekly cases in the state.

A new iteration of the omicron variant, BA.2, is on its way to becoming dominant across Michigan and the country, but experts say another surge of cases is unlikely — and at least two top scientists told The Detroit News this week that the pandemic may be nearly finished in the United States.

► For subscribers: As 'stealth' omicron spreads in Michigan, experts remain hopeful pandemic is nearing end

srahal@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @SarahRahal_