9/29/20: 898 new COVID cases, 20 deaths

State health officials on Tuesday reported 898 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the seven day moving average 818 new cases per day.

The state also reported 20 deaths related to the virus, though four of them came from a review of previous death records. The state is averaging about 10 deaths per day.

Five counties in the upper peninsula are now in the “red” zone according to a model developed by the Harvard Global Health Institute. All on the west side of the U.P., the counties have been afflicted by rising infection rates leading the governor to speculate about the need to impose restrictions on that part of the state.

Kalamazoo County reported 30 new confirmed cases of the virus and another 23 probable cases based on antibody tests. The county is averaging 32 new confirmed cases per day.

Western Michigan University reported 50 new infections over the last two days of last week. The university reports COVID-19 data twice a week on its coronavirus dashboard.

The university has seen 438 new infections since students began returning to campus in August.