Michigan reports another 1,210 COVID-19 cases, 111 deaths

(This story was updated at 3:01 p.m.)

SATURDAY, April 11 — State officials, as of today, are now tracking nearly 24,000 cases of COVID-19 across Michigan, with nearly 1,400 dead, including 10 deaths in Greater Lansing.

At least 1,210 new cases of coronavirus and 111 new deaths were reported by the state today,

Here are the latest virus-related statistics from Greater Lansing, Michigan and the country:      

Ingham County      

Cases — 241

Deaths — 3 

Recoveries — 60 

In Ingham County, most cases — 67-75 of them — have been detected in south Lansing in zip codes 48911 and 48910. East Lansing, Meridian and Bath townships also charted 31-35 cases for those in zip code 48823. The city of Mason, in zip code 48854, also tracked 26-30 cases. 

Other Ingham County zip codes where COVID-19 cases have been identified included: 48864 with 21-25 cases; 48842 with 16-20 cases; and 48906 and 48912 with 11-15 cases. Zip codes 48840, 48895, 48917, 48912, 48915, 48819, 48827, 48891, 48909, 48933, 49251, 49264 and 49285 each have between 1-10 confirmed coronavirus cases, county officials said yesterday.  

Eaton County      

Cases — 71      

Deaths — 4 

Recoveries — 42  

Clinton County      

Cases — 90 

Deaths — 3 

Recoveries — N/A  

Michigan      

Cases — 23,993 (+5.3%)      

Deaths — 1,392(+8.7%)      

Recoveries — 433  

According to state reports, about 79% of cases (and about 85% of those dead) are from Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties, including the city of Detroit. Data also shows African Americans accounted for 33% of cases and 41% of deaths. Caucasians accounted for 26% of cases and 32% of deaths; those of unknown race charted 32% of cases and 22% of deaths.  

U.S.    

Cases — 518,837    

Deaths — 20,105 

Source: The New York Times   

Michigan is still the state with the third most confirmed cases in the country, still behind New York and New Jersey. Michigan also reports the third-highest number of deaths among states. Reports show the U.S. also now leads the world in the highest number of coronavirus deaths.   

In Lansing… 

The Michigan Nurses Association has called for reforms by McLaren Home Care Greater Lansing after alleging that corporate officials failed “to work adequately with registered nurses” on a COVID-19 response plan. The union has since asked for additional protections for staff. 

A conservative group plans to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order on Wednesday by illegally clogging up streets in Lansing. The Michigan Conservative Coalition has recruited more than 800 people for the upcoming demonstration. 

Hundreds of alleged violations of Whitmer’s executive order have been reported to authorities in Lansing and across the region. Some have led to charges, reports the Lansing State Journal. 

An Allen Neighborhood Center employee tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the center to close through April 18, according to reports yesterday in the Lansing State Journal.  

The City of East Lansing might have canceled its 57th Annual Art Festival in person, but a virtual showing of artists exhibits has been made available at elartfest.com/artists until May 16.  

The Lansing State Journal reports that many local churches will host online Easter services. 

Ingham County Animal Control will operate a pet food bank from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays in the Okemos Community Church parking lot, the Lansing State Journal reports.

Across Michigan… 

Flags are to be flown at half-staff across the state indefinitely to honor and mourn those who lost their lives from coronavirus, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced yesterday. The idea: “To remind us all that every life lost is a story and a legacy of a loved one gone too soon,” she said.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clark Lake) ripped into Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a social media post Friday for extending her “stay home” order, criticizing the move as “destroying our health by ruining our livelihoods,” according to recent reports from MLive. 

The Lansing State Journal reports that many businesses — particularly those that operate outdoors — are growing frustrated with Whitmer’s recently extended “stay at home order.” 

Whitmer, though, has continued to stress the importance of a sweeping statewide lockdown.

"Every single exception ... makes this more porous and less likely to work," she said this week.

According to a recent clarification, physical outdoor activity like kayaking, canoeing, and sailing is permitted under the order, but using a motorboat, a jet ski, or other similar watercraft is not. Employees at sporting goods stores, like most landscapers, are also not considered essential. 

And while stores larger than 50,000 square feet have been forced to close off aisles dedicated to lawn maintenance, gardening and home improvement, many of those items can still be ordered online for curbside pickup and are available at smaller hardware stores in Michigan.

Many grocery stores will be closed or limit their hours for Easter, reports the Detroit Free Press.

The TCF Regional Care Center, Michigan’s first alternate care facility, opened yesterday in Detroit to care for at least 25 COVID-19 patients, with plans to care for 250 by sometime next week. The conversion from convention center into medical facility took about nine days.  

A second hospital will open at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. Paid positions are available for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and a variety of other administrative and security functions. Visit michigan.gov/covid19volunteer for more information on how to help. 

Whitmer announced today that over a dozen new or expanded COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites in Michigan and an additional commercial lab for processing results could boost the state’s dailing testing capacity by 40%, according to reports published today in the Detroit News. 

Attorney General Dana Nessel sent a cease-and-desist letter yesterday to a community action agency, Five CAP, in Scottville after receiving complaints that the group was continuing to require non-critical employees to report to work, despite warnings from local police.  

The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services announced yesterday that the state received agreements from nearly all health insurance companies to waive cost-sharing, including copays, deductibles and coinsurance for COVID-19 testing and treatment. 

The latest Department of Labor reports show that since March 15, more than 800,000 Michigan workers have filed claims for unemployment, a more than 5,000% increase and a record number of claims filed in each of the last three weeks since COVID-19 was identified. 

The state Unemployment Insurance Agency has implemented online tools to help claimants experiencing difficulties when applying for benefits. Michigan’s self-employed workers, gig workers, independent contractors and low-wage workers can apply for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance beginning Monday at 8 a.m. Visit michigan.gov/UIA for details.  

The Michigan History Center announced yesterday a new collecting initiative that gives residents the opportunity to share stories that reflect their experiences during the pandemic for the benefit of future generations. The first of the three-phase initiative is operating online now.  

And COVID-19 affected every facet of a Grand Blanc woman’s grief as she dealt with the virus-related deaths of her husband and only child, according to a recent Detroit News story.

The latest information is posted at michigan.gov/coronavirus and cdc.gov/coronavirus.      

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