LANSING, MI (AP)-- Michigan auditors will review the accuracy of the number of coronavirus deaths linked to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
Auditor General Doug Ringler agreed to conduct a comprehensive study at the request of House Oversight Committee Chairman Steven Johnson. Johnson is among Republican lawmakers who've questioned if there is an undercount, and who've criticized Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer for letting hospitalized COVID-19 patients return to nursing homes. There is no direct evidence the policy led to infections.
Michigan says 5,680 long-term care residents and 77 staff have died, accounting for 29 percent of nearly 19,800 confirmed COVID-19 deaths.