As Michiganders across the state continue working to protect themselves and their families from the spread of COVID-19, Governor Gretchen Whitmer today took swift action by signing a new executive order to save lives. Executive Order 2020-165 extends the governor’s emergency and disaster declaration until Sept. 4, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.
Every region in Michigan has seen an uptick in new cases over the past several weeks, and daily case counts in late July exceeded 50 cases per million statewide. Michigan’s statewide positivity rate has also increased, from a low of 2% in mid-June to 3.5% in late July.
The increase in cases reflects a national trend: COVID-19 cases are growing or holding steady in 40 states and deaths from COVID-19 are increasing in most of those states as well. While cases in Michigan have increased since June, our numbers are below the national average, with roughly a 3.5% positivity rate in Michigan compared to 9% nationally, and considerably lower than surrounding states.
