By Michael Wines

In a sea of heartening news about the U.S. battle against the coronavirus, some experts are casting worried glances at a cloud on the horizon: Michigan, where new cases and hospitalizations are rising with alarming speed.

The seven-day average of new cases has more than doubled in the last two weeks and tripled in the last month, by far the nation’s fastest rate of growth. The average for hospitalizations has grown 55 percent in the past two weeks.

Michigan is now reporting more new cases each day, relative to the size of its population, than any state except New Jersey.

Epidemiologists and infectious disease experts have yet to settle on clear answers to explain the jumps in Michigan. New cases are rising statewide among all age groups except the very young and those 60 and over, said Sarah Lyon-Callo, the director of the state’s epidemiology bureau.

“However, in the majority of cases, we aren’t able to identify a source of exposure that made them sick,” she added.

There are potential explanations. On Feb. 1, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer eased a ban on indoor restaurant dining and gave a go-ahead to high school and college in-person instruction and high school sports. The state had eased restrictions on theaters, bowling alleys, casinos and other entertainment spots in January.

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