FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2020
Contact: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112

LANSING, MICH. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is making a change to the cadence for COVID-19 data posted to the Michigan.gov/coronavirus website.

Beginning Sunday, Sept. 6, data on cases, deaths and testing will be reported Monday – Saturday. Weekend data are often erratic and generally lower than other days due to reduced testing and lab staffing. With respect to policy matters, MDHHS focuses its review of trends on the number of reports for each date that individuals experienced the onset of symptoms and not the daily reported cases which represent the day test results were received. Onset date reporting is shown on the MI Safe Start Map as well the Daily Cases by Status report on the Michigan.gov/Coronavirus website and this reporting will not be affected by this change.

“At this time, reporting on Sunday rather than Monday is not critical to our understanding of the virus,” said MDHS Director Robert Gordon. “This change will allow staff who have not had a real day off since February to get some relief and allow the department to prioritize more valuable data reporting, including school outbreak information.”

Sunday and Monday data will both be reported on Mondays, including Labor Day. This change will not affect the department’s ability to provide onset date information for COVID-19 cases.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.