Shiawassee Times

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on Michigan’s long-term care facilities -- but to exactly what extent has yet to be verified.

The Center Square reported that the state has been collecting data since May 29 and has reported the number of nursing home deaths due to the coronavirus at 2,144, as of the final week of September. That number cannot be verified, however, as the state has not be able to reach out to each of Michigan's facilities for confirmation -- despite a Department of Justice investigation over nursing home policies on four states including Michigan.

“MDHHS (Michigan Department of Health and Human Services) is dedicated to providing timely, accurate data concerning COVID-19 in Michigan,” MDHHS spokesperson Lynn Sutfin wrote in an email, according to The Center Square. “In addition to the concern over privacy due to facility size, we have not been able to conduct in-depth validation of this data that parallels the work done with nursing facilities. With more than 4,000+ licensed and up to 7,000, including the non-licensed facilities, we do not have the ability to ensure all facilities are reporting accurately.”