First coronavirus death reported in Michigan as total number of positive cases rises to 80

Michigan reported its first coronavirus death on Wednesday as the new number of positive cases rose from 60 to 65.

The new cases are in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. Of those, five are in Detroit, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Oakland and Wayne counties each have 23 total cases.

Beaumont Hospital announced that a man in his 50s died Wednesday morning after testing positive for the coronavirus. Health officials said the patient had “other underlying conditions.”

“Our medical team went to extraordinary efforts to care for this patient and we are deeply saddened by his passing and empathize with his family,” Beaumont Health Chief Nursing Officer Susan Grant says in a news release. “Our physicians, nurses and medical staff are all working together to care for COVID-19 patients. During a time like this, we are united to battle this virus.”

With a testing shortage, the total number of coronavirus cases is likely much higher than reported because most sick people are not getting tested. As the demand for testing sharply rises, the state increased the daily number of people it can test from 115 to 250. Henry Ford Hospital and Beaumont Health also began testing this week.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has criticized the Trump administration’s failure to provide an adequate number of tests and other supplies, said Wednesday she is asking the World Health Organization for more testing kits.

Because of the limited capacity, the state is now waiting for 24 to 72 hours for results to come back.

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