1 death, 390 new coronavirus cases reported in Michigan

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan reported hundreds of new coronavirus cases Sunday, but the number was down from a day earlier.

The state health department also reported one COVID-19 death, pushing the total since March to 6,068. More are probable but haven’t been officially counted yet.

It’s difficult to measure broader trends from weekend data. The state said there were 390 new confirmed cases, on top of 653 from Saturday. Michigan is approaching 70,000 overall cases since March, although roughly 80% of people are listed as having recovered.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s new mask policy kicks in Monday. Businesses open to the public must deny service to people who aren’t wearing a face covering. Violators could face a $500 fine.

“No shirts, no shoes, no mask — no service,” Whitmer said.

In southwestern Michigan, Van Buren County Sheriff Dan Abbott said his officers won’t enforce the order. He said it’s vague and should have come from the Legislature.

Police chiefs in Bad Axe and Sandusky in Michigan’s Thumb region have told their constituents to contact the attorney general’s office if they have complaints about people violating Whitmer’s orders.

“For local law enforcement, this has become a very confusing issue as to what is enforceable and what is not enforceable,” Sandusky Chief Brett Lester said.