Michigan tallies 539 new cases, 6 more deaths related to coronavirus

Michigan added 539 cases of COVID-19 and six deaths related to the virus on Sunday.

Sunday's additions bring the state's total number of cases to 102,017 and the death toll to 6,473. 

Of those infected, the statewide fatality rate has dropped from 9.5% in June to 6.3% as of Sunday. The infection rate has dropped from 7.5% at the start of August.

On Friday, the state reached a 100,000 case tally, six months from when the virus was first confirmed in the state.

"It is a very disappointing milestone," said Dr. Teena Chopra, an infectious disease professor at Wayne State University. "It only goes to show that despite repeated warnings and the higher mortality that we saw in Detroit, we still put our guard down."

Nearly 34,000 tests were completed on Saturday, the last day that testing was reported in Michigan, and 2,800 returned positive, the state said. The state's positivity rate peaked on March 15, with 65% of tests returning positive.

Almost a quarter of Michigan’s recorded COVID-19 outbreaks during a seven-week stretch over July and August occurred in long-term care facilities, making it the leading source of virus flare-ups over those summer months, according to recently released state data.

Social gatherings such as funerals, weddings and parties were the second biggest source of outbreaks during the seven-week period at 19% of the outbreaks, according to state data.

While bars and restaurants were initially feared to be a potentially big source of coronavirus outbreaks, they are less likely to happen there than at workplaces. Job sites comprised 16% of the 589 outbreaks across the state compared with 9% for restaurants and bars, according to data released by the state of Michigan to The Detroit News. And bars only accounted for 2% of the overall 9% of the restaurant and bar outbreaks.

In Detroit, the state's hardest-hit city, there are 13,625 cases and 1,511 deaths from the virus as of Saturday.

As of Saturday, 610 Michigan residents were hospital inpatients with the virus, and 93 were on ventilators in intensive care units.

Of the 70 outbreaks in the last two weeks, 14 have been at long-term care facilities. Additionally, social gatherings including birthday parties, graduations, funerals and weddings have contributed to 11 outbreaks, according to the state.

In long-term care facilities, 8,152 residents and 4,324 staff members have confirmed cases. More than 6,300 are recovering. Since March, 2,103 residents and 21 staff members have died from the virus.

srahal@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @SarahRahal_