The state of Michigan has ordered doctors and funeral homes to work together to speed up the reporting of suspected coronavirus deaths.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon issued an emergency order Saturday that requires doctors who know or suspect that a person died of the virus to promptly notify the deceased's funeral director.

The funeral director then has 48 hours to file a death record for the person that notes that coronavirus was confirmed or suspected as the cause of death. Funeral directors must also report all the deaths using Michigan’s Electronic Death Records System.

Quick reporting of coronavirus deaths will allow public health officials to better understand whether and how the virus is spreading, according to a news release issued Saturday night.

As of Saturday, Michigan reported 14,225 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 540 deaths. There have been recent news reports about Michiganders who died of symptoms resembling coronavirus although they had not received tests, including one 40-year-old nurse whose family says he was turned away from a drive-up testing site.

ContactJC Reindl at313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @jcreindl. Read more on business and sign up for our business newsletter.