By The Associated Press

and Daily Press Staff

LANSING (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday her administration will announce the further loosening of Michigan’s coronavirus restrictions in coming days.

She did not elaborate much in a news conference, in which she again pressed the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass a multibillion-dollar COVID-19 relief funding plan. A state health department order limits indoor restaurant capacity to 25%, imposes a 10 p.m. curfew and restricts the size of inside residential gatherings to no more than 10 people from two households, through March 29.

“Our case numbers and public health metrics are trending in the right direction. I’m very pleased to see that,” the Democratic governor said.

Locally, COVID-19 cases in the U.P. are contnuing to slow.

As of Wednesday, the U.P. had 16,360 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (an increase of 24 cases in 24 hours), 4,029 probable cases, 383 deaths and 93 probable deaths linked to the disease, according to state officials.

The figure does not include prisoners in the Michigan Department of Corrections.

According to the state’s county-by-county count issued Wednesday, Delta County had a total of 2,644 confirmed COVID-19 cases (increase of two cases), 471 probable cases, 65 deaths and 19 probable deaths; Menominee County had 1,614 confirmed cases (unchanged), 263 probable cases, 35 deaths and two probable deaths; Schoolcraft County had 229 confirmed cases (unchaged), 28 probable cases, four deaths and one probable death.

Elsewhere in the peninsula, Alger County had 277 confirmed cases, 157 probable cases, one death and four probable death; Baraga County had 505 confirmed cases, 98 probable cases and 32 deaths; Chippewa County had 716 confirmed cases, 1,031 probable cases, 23 deaths and four probable deaths; Dickinson County had 2,131 confirmed cases, 239 probable cases, 55 deaths and 14 probable deaths; Gogebic County had 926 confirmed cases, 339 probable cases, 19 deaths and 28 probable deaths; Houghton County had 2,108 confirmed cases, 526 probable cases, 32 deaths and eight probable deaths; Iron County had 866 confirmed cases, 61 probable cases, 40 deaths and nine probable deaths; Keweenaw County had 115 confirmed cases, 29 probable cases, one death and one probable death; Luce County had 132 confirmed cases, 85 probable cases and one probable death; Mackinac County had 290 confirmed cases, 151 probable cases and three deaths; Marquette County had 3,448 confirmed cases, 499 probable cases, 54 deaths and one probable death; and Ontonagon County had 359 confirmed cases, 52 probable cases, 19 deaths and one probable death.

The state does not include infections or deaths within the Michigan Department of Corrections system in county-by-county counts, however, as of Wednesday, the MDOC had 23,963 confirmed cases, 788 probable cases, 145 deaths and three probable deaths.