KALAMAZOO, MI -- After newly confirmed coronavirus cases dipped over the last few days, the figure shot back up as 27 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed Tuesday, April 28.
In total, state data shows 327 cases and 12 deaths tied to the virus in Kalamazoo County.
The next highest single-day increase in Kalamazoo County’s COVID-19 cases was on Friday, April 24, when 37 new cases were reported.
Of the 327 people who tested positive since the start of the pandemic, 62 people have been hospitalized, according to county data.
Bronson Healthcare reported 20 patients were receiving treatment at Bronson Methodist, as of Monday, April 27. The downtown hospital reported 35 recovered cases and 13 deaths.
About 15 patients are being treated in the COVID-19 unit at Ascension Borgess, Chief Medical Director Thomas Rohs said on Tuesday.
Ascension Borgess has declined to give precise numbers detailing patient, recovery and death data, citing patient privacy.
On average, hospitalized patients stay for three days before their symptoms are manageable enough to go home, Rohs said.
With the exception of vulnerable populations, Rohs said he expected to see the patient flow stay level. However, the number of cases will largely depend on if social distancing continues, he said.
“In a couple weeks we might see a little bump because people are not really following the loosening restrictions,” he said. “They’re just not following any restrictions, at least from what I’ve observed.”
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On Sunday, the county reported its 12th death as a result of the virus. Kalamazoo County is among 20 other counties that have recorded 10 or more deaths as a result of the coronavirus.
The county, which according to the latest census data is the state’s ninth largest, ranks 12th in cases and 16th in deaths, compared to the rest of the state.
Of the county’s 12 deaths, five have occurred in people between the ages of 60-79 and seven in people over 80, according to a Monday news release from the county. The most recent person to die was between the ages of 60-79 and did not have any underlying health conditions, county officials said on Monday.
Kalamazoo County’s Health Officer Jim Rutherford reminded the community at the April 21 county commissioner meeting that the number of cases is a direct result of increased testing. For example, the first rolling test site at Stones Church resulted in 23 positive tests in one day.
The county’s highest single-day increase, on April 24, occurred the day after Family Health Center set up a testing site at Loy Norrix High School.
During last week’s testing, 294 people were screened, according to a Family Health Center representative. Of those, 17 tested positive.
Many of the people screened on April 23 were essential workers not exhibiting any symptoms, and most tests returned negative results, according to a Family Health Center representative.
This week’s testing site will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the parking lot of Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency,1819 E. Milham Ave. in Portage.
This site will be the largest so far, with capacity for 500 tests, Family Health Center CEO and President Denise Crawford said.
Individuals who are hoping to get tested must first call the Family Health Center at 269-488-0804 to undergo a pre-test evaluation and assessment to determine whether it is appropriate for them to be tested. Individuals do not need to have been prior patients of the center to be tested.
The testing locations are determined based on population density, socioeconomic factors and access to healthcare, Crawford said.
After the public and elected officials pushed for more geographic data, Kalamazoo County released data showing the number of positive cases by ZIP code.
The two ZIP codes in Kalamazoo County with the most positive cases are the 49009 and 49001 ZIP code. Both have between 46 and 60 cases, according to county data.
The 49009 ZIP code includes Oshtemo Township, and also stretches south into sections of Texas Township and north into areas of Alamo and Cooper townships.
The 49001 ZIP code includes the city of Kalamazoo’s Milwood, Edison and Southside neighborhoods, but also portions of the city’s South Westnedge, Westnedge Hill and Vine neighborhoods, along with parts of Comstock and Kalamazoo Townships.
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The virus continues to disproportionately affect black residents both in Kalamazoo County and statewide.
Of Kalamazoo County’s 327 cases confirmed as of Tuesday, 111 were among black patients — about 34%. African Americans make up less than 12% of the county’s total population, according to the latest census data.
In Michigan, African Americans make up 14% of the population but represent 32% of confirmed cases and 41% of the deaths caused by the COVID-19 virus.
Underlying health issues within the black community, poverty that restricts access to medical care, crowded living situations and a general lack of trust in the health system are some of the theories put forth for the high rate of COVID-19 among people who are black.
Statewide, there were an additional 160 deaths and 1,052 cases reported on Tuesday.
In total, the state has recorded 39,262 cases and 3,567 deaths since the pandemic started in March. The state’s fatality rate for confirmed cases is 9%.
A visual representation of the increasing case counts and death toll in Kalamazoo County is shown below, based on data reported by the state. Apparent conflicts in data reported there result from slight differences in daily case counts provided by state and county health officials.
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