State Tops 100 COVID Deaths Per Day

Michigan’s fourth COVID-19 surge hit a grim milestone this month where the average number of people dying of the disease each day over a seven-day period hit 100 for the first time in a year.

From November 30 through December 6, 737 people died of COVID-19, or 105 per day. That is the highest daily death toll the state has seen since the second wave during December 2020.

There are perhaps some signs that the fourth wave has reached its peak. The seven-day average for newly confirmed COVID-19 cases fell to 5,664 Wednesday. Further, there was the first significant decline in hospitalizations since the fourth wave began. On Wednesday, there were still 4,566 adults hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus, down from 4,721 on Monday.

Still, at 4,566, that is worse than during the first three waves of the pandemic and reports are building about hospitals in crisis across the state, unable to care for patients with anything less than a potentially fatal condition.