Ingham County reports 24th death from COVID-19; Lansing-area death toll hits 40

LANSING – Officials are reporting another death from COVID-19 in the Lansing area.

The Ingham County Health Department said a woman in her early 60s has died from the disease, pushing Greater Lansing's death toll from the pandemic to 40.

Ingham County now has 24 deaths and 668 cases linked to COVID-19. Clinton County has 10 deaths and 136 cases, while Eaton County has six deaths and 168 cases.

The state reported 659 new cases and 43 new deaths on Wednesday, raising Michigan's death toll to 5,060 and the total number of cases above 53,000.

The daily number of new cases and deaths have been falling for weeks across much of the state, although the economic fallout from the pandemic is becoming more and more clear.

Michigan’s unemployment rate in April likely set an all-time high at 22.7% as coronavirus restrictions shut down businesses and put people out of work, the state reported Wednesday.

April was the first full month of stay-home orders and business shutdowns. People have been urged to wear masks and avoid each other to reduce the spread of the virus.

“Job losses were widespread across all industry sectors, with especially large employment reductions in leisure and hospitality and manufacturing,” said Jason Palmer, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.

The state said the April jobless rate likely set a record when compared to estimates recorded since at least 1976. The previous high was 16.5% in December 1982.

Most people who catch the new coronavirus have mild to moderate symptoms and usually recover in two to three weeks. But some, including older adults and those with underlying medical problems, can become seriously ill.

The age range of COVID-19 deaths in Michigan is 5 to 107. Among those who have died, the average age is slightly above 75 years.

A large majority of the cases and deaths have occurred in the metropolitan Detroit area.

With five new deaths reported Wednesday, Wayne County's death toll crossed the 1,000 mark for a total of 1,004. Detroit, which reports its coronavirus data separate from the county, had 1,280 COVID-19 deaths as of Wednesday.

In west Michigan, Kent County had 3,036 cases and 60 deaths, the state said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Ken Palmer at (517) 377-1032 or kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.