COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – While no new COVID-19 cases were reported Monday in Branch County, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency said they have been informed of the first death in St. Joseph County.
In addition, two new deaths have been reported in Hillsdale County which brought that county’s death toll up to nine.
No information on the three people who passed away was reported by the C.H.A..
Health Officer Rebecca Burns said “this was a tragic reminder of how serious of a threat this virus is to our community and why it is so important to maintain social distance from others at this time.”
The C.H.A. says as of 3:00 p.m. Monday there have been 29 positive cases with two deaths in Branch County while there has been 21 cases with one death in St. Joseph County and 77 cases with nine deaths in Hillsdale County.
The Michigan Department of Corrections reported 68 prisoners had tested positive at the Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater with two deaths. In addition, there have been 20 positive tests among Lakeland staff members.
No information has been provided yet on the number of local patients who have recovered from the virus.
The state’s official COVID-19 tracking website reported on Monday afternoon that 25,635 individuals have tested positive for the acute respiratory illness in Michigan.
As of Monday, 1,602 Michigan residents have died from COVID-19, after state health officials confirmed the first death from the illness back on March 10. That’s an increase of 997 positive cases and 115 deaths from the day before.
