COVID cases rising, but more slowly, as Labor Day fun, get-togethers loom

• Michigan's COVID-19 infection rates are lower than other states, with ‘moderate’ levels of infection detected in wastewater
• Weekly COVID-19 cases in Michigan increased by 9% to nearly 4,200, a far slower growth rate compared to previous weeks
• COVID-19-linked deaths have recently dropped, indicating a potential easing of the latest summer surge

As we head into the travel-heavy Labor Day weekend, Michigan is experiencing lower COVID-19 infection rates than other states and the rate of weekly increases has slowed substantially.

That’s good news.

The bad news is if you are headed out of state in just about any direction, you may encounter higher infection rates. 

The West and the Mountain states, along with the South and Northeast are all reporting “very high” rates of COVID-19 being detected in wastewater, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Neighboring Indiana is also in the “very high” category, while Michigan is one of just four states with “moderate” levels, joining Vermont, New Jersey and West Virginia.

In Michigan, though, the state reported nearly 4,200 weekly COVID-19 cases in its most recent full week of data (ending Aug. 24), up from 3,849 the previous week.

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That represents a 9% increase, well below the average weekly gains of over 20% that started in June and lasted for seven weeks.

If this year follows last year’s summer surge, rates will soon start falling before rising in the fall.

Through Tuesday, nearly 45,200 people had died in Michigan because of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, according to state records.

But the death toll, along with the number of infections, has dropped dramatically as vaccines, natural immunity from prior infections and improved treatments have all worked to lower the number of serious and fatal cases.

At the same point in 2023, through the third week of August, COVID-19 had been blamed on 1,943 deaths, on the way to an annual total of 2,882.

So far this year, COVID-19 has caused 961 deaths — on pace for being similar to the number of annual flu and pneumonia deaths in the state. That would still put COVID-19 near the top 10 causes of death but far from the No. 3 spot it held in 2020 and 2021 (behind heart disease and cancer).

And in recent weeks, the number of weekly deaths has fallen below 2023 levels, another indication that the summer surge may be abating. The state reported 10 COVID-19-linked deaths last week, down from 18 five weeks ago.

During three previous intense waves in 2020, 2021 and 2022, an average of 100 or more people were dying every day from COVID-19.