NEW: Michigan is now reporting the racial breakdown of COVID-19 cases. So far, 10,791 positive cases have been reported & 417 deaths. Of that, African Americans account for 35% of cases & 40% of deaths. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, just 14.1% of MI’s population is black.

Thanks, @MichiganHHS for including this data. It’s something reporters have been asking for and it’s very important context to understand who is being impacted by COVID-19.

Some folks are asking about the unknown percentages. Here’s what a state spokesperson told me last night when I asked for the COVID-19 racial breakdown:

Michigan has several cities with significant African American populations. Detroit of course but also Southfield, Oak Park, Flint, Inkster, etc.

MI’s Washtenaw County health department notes African Americans have been hit particularly hard. “We know viruses do not discriminate based on location, race, ethnicity ... However, viruses like COVID-19 can highlight health disparities that are deeply rooted in our society.”

Now seems like an especially good time to repost a story my colleague @aaronlmorrison wrote this week about Democratic lawmakers calling for COVID-19 racial data to address potential disparities in the national response to the coronavirus outbreak. https://apnews.com/c0e58c2e0de70169ef000ce3666c285a