Michigan remains in a relatively dark Covid tunnel, according to data compiled weekly by The New York Times.
"Recent cases" = reported in the last two weeks.
(Graphic: The New York Times)
The state has 16 of the 20 U.S. metro areas with the most new confirmed and probable cases, relative to size, during the past two weeks.
Detroit and surrounding counties rank third with 49,695 new confirmed and presumed coronavirus diagnoses since late March, an average daily rate of 82 cases per 100,000 residents. (The list covers urbanized regions with at least 50,000 people.)
"Scaling those cases by the population of the area can help give a sense of the prevalence of the illness there and how strained a community’s health care system may be," says The Upshot, a data visualization and analysis section of The Times. "Of course, case counts are subject to variable rates of testing."
Another list shows "metro areas where new reported cases are rising the fastest, on a population-adjusted basis." Four mid-Michigan areas -- Mount Pleasant, Owosso, Midland and Bay City -- are atop the rankings in that order. Four other state spots are in the top 20 (Traverse City, Adrian, Saginaw and Marquette).
On Twitter, The Upshot links to its latest update this way Sunday afternoon: "The answer to the question 'Where Is the Outbreak Worst Now?' has been the same for weeks. It's Michigan."
The numbers reflect "individuals whose coronavirus infections were confirmed by a laboratory test" and "individuals who did not have a confirmed test but were evaluated using criteria developed by national and local governments." The newspaper also notes:
"Metropolitan areas are bigger than just the city limits of a given place — they often include the surrounding suburbs and exurbs."
Figures are sorted by the difference between cases in the past week compared with the week before.
