Michigan's outbreak of the coronavirus continues to grow worse with another 77 people confirmed to have died in the past 24 hours and 1,493 new cases confirmed.

Michigan now has 617 deaths and 15,718 cases of coronavirus.

Detroit and Wayne County is the epicenter of the outbreak accounting for more than 50% of the state's cases combined (6,707). It also has reported a total of 293 deaths. Oakland County has just over 3,000 cases and Macomb has over 2,000. Combined, the three counties represent almost 12,000 of the state's 15,718 cases.

The growing confirmed cases is most attributable to the amount of testing being done in the state and specifically in Detroit where the city is testing upwards of 1,000 people every day at the state fairgrounds.

On Thursday, Gov. Whitmer announced that all K-12 schools were staying closed for the remainder of the school year and that Michigan’s 1.5 million students will learn remotely. Districts will create distance learning programs but they have flexibility on how they do so.

The state’s chief medical executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said Thursday that trend is likely to continue for some time. It could be at least two weeks still, state officials say, before Michigan reaches its peak.


Dr. Khaldun said the increasing number of cases brings a likely need for additional field hospitals for patients beyond the one that’s already being set up at the TCF Center in Detroit, where Mayor Duggan has attributed the high number of cases to aggressive testing.

RELATED: Michigan Medicine predicts social distancing could reduce coronavirus cases by 65 percent

SATURDAY, APRIL 4

The State of Michigan confirmed 61 deaths from the coronavirus COVID-19, and 1,481 new cases. That brings the state’s total to nearly 14,225 cases and 540 deaths.

FRIDAY, APRIL 3

Another 62 deaths from COVID-19 have been confirmed in Michigan by the state, as well as another 1,953 cases.

The state's total is nearly 12,744 cases and 479 deaths.

Only one county, Presque Isle, confirmed its first case of coronavirus. Calhoun and Dickinson Counties each reported their first deaths from COVID-19.

THURSDAY, APRIL 2

The State of Michigan reported 80 more deaths from the coronavirus Covid-19, and another 1,457 cases have been confirmed.

That brings the state’s total to nearly 10,800 cases and 417 deaths.

Dickinson County reported its first case Thursday, and Clinton, Eaton, Grand Traverse and Van Buren counties all reported their first deaths.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1

The State of Michigan confirmed another 78 people died from coronavirus and another 1,719 cases were confirmed Wednesday.

Only one new county in Michigan had a new case, Mackinac County. Macomb County jumped by 200, Oakland went up 500 and Detroit/Wayne County increased by over 700 cases.

Emmet, Ingham, and Sanilac Counties all reported their first coronavirus-related deaths. Oakland County reported 29 new deaths and Wayne had 63 new deaths.

TUESDAY, MARCH 31

On Tuesday, the state reported another 1,117 cases, bringing the total to 7,615. Another 75 deaths were reported, bringing that count to 259.

Cases were confirmed for the first time in Arenac, Branch, Chippewa, Oscoda and Schoolcraft counties. Berrien, Cass and Kalkaska counties all also reported their first deaths.

MONDAY, MARCH 30

More than a thousand new cases were confirmed Monday, March 30 – 1,012 to be exact, bringing the state’s total to just shy of 6,500. Another 52 deaths were reported, bringing the total to 184.

New cases were reported in Antrim, Delta, Houghton and St. Joseph counties. Kalamazoo County reported its first death.

SUNDAY, MARCH 29

Another 836 new coronavirus cases were confirmed Sunday, March 29, along with 21 more deaths, brings the state's total to 5,486 cases and 132 deaths.

At the beginning of this week cases in Michigan were at 1,300 on Monday, showing how the cases have gotten exponentially greater - but it's also a sign that testing is becoming more available in the hardest-hit areas of southeast Michigan.

New cases were reported this day in Cheboygan and Osceola counties. The first deaths were also reported in Hillsdale, Isabella and Jackson counties.

SATURDAY, MARCH 28

The state reported 993 new coronavirus cases and 19 more deaths on Saturday, March 28, skyrocketing the total of infected people in the state to 4,650.

A total of 111 deaths were reported. Detroit leads the state with 30 deaths amid 1,377 total cases.

FRIDAY, MARCH 27

The state reported 801 more cases Friday, March 27 and 32 more deaths.

Five counties reported their first cases Friday: Crawford, Dickinson, Gogebic, Gratiot and Huron. Gogebic County also reported its first death.

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

Michigan reported another 564 new coronavirus cases and 17 more deaths on Thursday, March 26, bringing the state's already high number of coronavirus cases to 2856 and the total deaths at 60.

The past three days showed dramatic increases every single day as the state continues to test more and more people for coronavirus.

The following counties confirmed their first fatalities from the virus: Genessee (63 cases, 1 death), Mecosta (1 case, 1 death), and Tuscola (2 cases, 1 death).

There were seven new counties with confirmed cases: Cass, Ionia, Mecosta, Missaukee, Oceana, Shiawassee, and Van Buren. The virus is now in almost every county in the Lower Peninsula but just one county in the U.P. - Marquette.

RELATED: Track Michigan coronavirus cases by county with this interactive map

App users can click on the map here

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25

Michigan reported 507 new coronavirus cases and 19 new deaths on Wednesday, March 25 as the number of confirmed tests continues to rise at a rapid rate bringing the state’s total to 2,298. The state’s official death record is also now at 43.

Wednesday was the single largest jump in confirmed cases, beating the previous record set just 24 hours earlier.

The unofficial epicenter of coronavirus in Michigan is still in the Detroit area where Detroit reports 12 deaths (705 total cases), Wayne County reports 9 deaths (417 cases), 10 deaths in Oakland County (543 cases), and 7 deaths in Macomb County (281 cases).

Livingston County has also reported its first death from the virus.

Among the counties who now have cases are Marquette and Luce.

STAY AT HOME ORDER

On Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a stay-home order. The strict order came with a warning that a million people in Michigan could need hospital beds if Michiganders keep going out in public and spreading the illness, especially if unknowingly.

The stay-home order lasts for at least three weeks and is in efforts to start slowing the spread of the virus to help preserve hospital staff, beds and ventilators.

You can get more details about what can and cannot be done under the stay-home order here.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Detroit Police Department said a 50-year-old police captain had died from complications after catching Coronavirus.

"This is a reminder of why Gov. Whitmer's order was so important. It is not just elderly people who are dying of this disease," Mayor Mike Duggan said. "Something about it, young individuals are severely affected as well."

Symptoms for coronavirus COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath.

To protect yourself, wash your hands well and often, keep them away from your face, and avoid crowds and standing close to people.

Are you showing symptoms? Try Beaumont's virtual screening tool

And if you do find yourself showing any of these flu or coronavirus symptoms - don't go straight to your doctor's office. That just risks making more people sick, officials urge. Call ahead, and ask if you need to be seen and where.

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