Coronavirus in Michigan: Here’s what to know Aug. 4, 2020

664 new COVID-19 cases reported Tuesday in Michigan

Michigan COVID-19 data as of Aug. 4, 2020. (WDIV)

DETROIT – Here’s everything you should know about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Michigan as of Tuesday morning.

Michigan COVID-19 orders enforcement

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is working to make sure her executive orders issued in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are being enforced.

On Tuesday, Whitmer signed Executive Directive 2020-08 to “direct state departments and autonomous agency heads to review allocation of their resources to ensure that enforcement of COVID-19-related laws is a priority,” reads a statement from her office. That includes enforcing limitations on capacity and the requirement to wear a mask when entering a Michigan business.

Read more here.

Michigan’s case count

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 84,050 as of Tuesday, including 6,219 deaths, state officials report.

Tuesday’s update represents an increase of 664 new cases and *seven additional deaths, including five identified during a Vital Records review. Monday’s update brought the state totals to 83,386 overall cases and 6,212 deaths.

*Note: The state originally reported eight additional deaths on Tuesday, then changed it to seven.

New cases have increased moderately in recent weeks, while deaths remain flat in Michigan. Testing has remained steady, with an average of more than 25,000 per day, with the positive rate between 3 and 4 percent. Hospitalizations have increased slightly, but remain considerably lower than in April.

Michigan has reported 60,022 recoveries. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 17,200 as of Monday. Michigan’s 7-day average moving average for daily cases was 697 on Monday, the highest since early May.

Beyond Michigan

According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 1.4 million have recovered in the U.S., with more than 4.6 million cases reported across the country. More than 154,000 have died in the U.S.

Worldwide, more than 18.1 million people have been confirmed infected and over 690,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. The true numbers are certainly much higher, because of limited testing, different ways nations count the dead and deliberate under-reporting by some governments.

Matthew Stafford tests positive

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list because he tested positive for the coronavirus.

NFL players can be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 without testing positive if they have had close contact with someone who is sick. But that’s not the case with the Lions’ star quarterback.

Stafford received a test Friday, when he was asymptomatic, meaning he passed tests on Tuesday and Wednesday.

UPDATE: Detroit Lions say QB Matthew Stafford had false-positive COVID-19 test; returns to active roster

Detroit Tigers series postponed

The upcoming four-game series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals has been postponed due to an outbreak of coronavirus cases in the Cardinals organization.

Officials confirmed Monday that 13 members of the Cardinals organization -- seven players and six staff members -- tested positive for the virus.

The Tigers’ next scheduled series is in Pittsburgh for three games against the Pirates Friday through Sunday.

COVID-19 creates spike in absentee ballot requests

The large number of absentee voters could cause delayed results for the Michigan Primary Election.

While absentee ballots have been an option for years, the pandemic has created a major spike in requests.

READ: Michigan Secretary of State addresses concerns ahead of primary election

In Michigan, there are roughly 7.7 million registered voters. There were more than 2 million requests for absentee ballots for this primary, and 1.2 million have been returned so far.

Officials with the Michigan Secretary of State said residents should expected a delay in getting results -- possibly Wednesday or Thursday.

Motor City Casino to reopen this week

The Motor City Casino in Detroit is set to reopen Wednesday, and when it does, it will look very different because of the ongoing pandemic.

Detroit’s casinos are limited to 15% capacity when they reopen, which equates to about 1,600 people at a time for Motor City Casino.

It will officially reopen at 10 a.m. Wednesday, officials said.

The entry process will start in your vehicle, and it could end there, too. Expect to have your temperature taken and to answer questions about symptoms and exposure. Anyone who has symptoms or has been exposed will be asked to leave.

As for the games, every other slot machine will be closed. Table games will be cut from six positions to three.


Coronavirus headlines:


Michigan COVID-19 daily reported cases since July 20:

  • July 20 -- 489 new cases
  • July 21 -- 573 new cases
  • July 22 -- 523 new cases
  • July 23 -- 699 new cases
  • July 24 -- 594 new cases
  • July 25 -- 437 new cases
  • July 26 -- 1,041* (cases higher due to technical glitch)
  • July 27 -- 488 new cases
  • July 28 -- 669 new cases
  • July 29 -- 996* (cases higher due to backlog of test results)
  • July 30 -- 715 new cases
  • July 31 -- 734 new cases
  • Aug. 1 -- 735 new cases
  • Aug. 2 -- 426 new cases
  • Aug. 3 -- 604 new cases
  • Aug. 4 -- 664 new cases

Michigan COVID-19 daily reported deaths since July 20:

  • July 20 -- 7 new deaths
  • July 21 -- 9 new deaths
  • July 22 -- 6 new deaths
  • July 23 -- 7 new deaths
  • July 24 -- 3 new deaths
  • July 25 -- 14 new deaths
  • July 26 -- 0 new deaths
  • July 27 -- 5 new deaths
  • July 28 -- 16 new deaths
  • July 29 -- 2 new deaths
  • July 30 -- 19 new deaths (14 of which are from vital records)
  • July 31 -- 8 new deaths
  • Aug. 1 -- 7 new deaths
  • Aug. 2 -- 0 new deaths
  • Aug. 3 -- 6 new deaths
  • Aug. 4 -- 7 new deaths (5 of which are from vital records)

Coronavirus resources:


Here is the moving 7-day average of COVID-19 cases in Michigan:


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About the Authors

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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