County and state COVID-19 case growth slows, but data doesn’t yet explain why

The daily count of new COVID-19 cases appeared to have slowed over the weekend, though state officials caution against reading into it for signs that the pandemic is ebbing.

As of April 12, seven people have died and 84 people have tested positive in Kalamazoo County, according to the county health department.

Bridge Magazine reports that statewide new case data for April 12 was the lowest number in weeks.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement saying the data doesn’t necessarily mean the virus in the state is yet on its way out.

“We cannot say if this represents a true decline in COVID-19 cases and deaths in our state,” the statement said. “Reported case counts may reflect a reduction in the amount of laboratory testing performed over the weekend and holiday. Single day fluctuations in the number of confirmed cases may not be significant, as a number of external factors can affect data reporting.”