A surge in coronavirus cases in Detroit has put Michigan on track to be one of the U.S. states hardest hit by the pandemic, the city’s mayor said on Thursday, adding that hospitals were scrambling to increase capacity.
As the U.S. death toll from the virus passed 1,000 people, hospitals and government authorities in New York, New Orleans and other hot spots have grappled with a rush of cases and a shortage of supplies, staff and sick beds.
In Detroit, which had no cases about two weeks ago, the number had grown to 868 confirmed cases and 15 deaths as of midday on Thursday, the city’s chief public health officer, Denise Fair, said on a webcast briefing.
Statewide, Michigan authorities have so far reported 2,856 cases and 60 deaths, according to data compiled by Reuters. That puts it behind New York’s more than 37,000 cases and 385 deaths, but closer to New Jersey and California.
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Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said the surge in newly confirmed cases in and around the city, partially attributable to expanded testing, was “really concerning.”
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Michigan was on pace to be among the top three states in the country in confirmed cases,
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