COVID-19 UPDATE: Michigan surpassed eight million vaccinations

OFFICE OF GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER // MAY 24, 2021

 

Michigan surpassed eight million vaccinations! 

 

• On Friday (May 21st), Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued the following statement as Michigan surpassed eight million vaccine doses administered.
• “Michigan is emerging from the once-in-a-century pandemic and gearing up to jumpstart the economy,” said Governor Whitmer. “The hope that we feel today is thanks to the millions of Michiganders who have gotten vaccinated to keep themselves, their families, and communities safe. We also owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to every frontline Michigander who played such a vital role keeping our communities going during uncertain times and those who continue to stand on the front lines working to get shots in arms. They are the heroes of this crises. Thanks to them and every Michigander who has gotten vaccinated, on June 1st, we will be opening up all outdoor events at 100% capacity and indoor events at 50%, and on July 1st, we will be 100% open except for a few targeted guidelines to keep vulnerable populations safe. We will have the Independence Day and summer that we all crave, and together, we will build back better. Michigan is poised to create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, build up our crumbling infrastructure, invest in our kids and schools, and get back to a new normal as a stronger, more resilient state.”
• Michigan reached seven million vaccinations on May 2. To date, 58 percent of Michiganders have received at least one dose.

 

Governor Whitmer announced updates to return-to-work safety guidelines and MIOSHA filed updated COVID-19 emergency rules.

• Thanks to the Michiganders who got their COVID-19 shots, all employees may return to in-person work starting today after the state reached a vaccination benchmark of 55% of those with at least one dose of vaccine two weeks ago. Many companies will have a phased-in return to work, but the law no longer requires remote work. As for the emergency rules that are still in effect through October 2021, MIOSHA has updated them, effective today, to integrate the CDC’s latest guidance that we adopted in Michigan. Under the revised COVID-19 emergency rules:
  • Employers can allow fully vaccinated employees to work normally – without masks or distancing requirements.
  • Cleaning and sanitization requirements have been softened.
  • Industry-specific requirements have been eliminated. For example, restaurants and bars can choose to reopen common areas like pool tables and dance floors.
  • Employers are still required to have a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan that ensures compliance with CDC guidance – so that workers can come to work with confidence in their safety.
• These new rules are the result of many productive conversations between business owners, labor, workers, and medical experts, including the MIOSHA Back to Office workgroup. We expect OSHA to offer their own guidelines that incorporate lessons learned from COVID-19 and we will look to integrate their recommendations into MIOSHA’s rules when they become finalized. In the meantime, these slimmed-down emergency rules will ensure that Michigan workers feel safe at work.

 

As announced last week, MDHHS updated its COVID-19 Gatherings and Face Masks Epidemic Order. 

• As of June 1, capacity limits will lift for outdoor events. Additionally, indoor capacity limits will increase to 50%, allowing indoor social gatherings such as weddings and funerals to move closer to normalcy. As of July 1, the state will no longer limit capacity at indoor or outdoor gatherings. Throughout the month of June, people who are not yet fully vaccinated will still be required to mask up while indoors.
• To reflect these changes, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released an updated epidemic order.

 

Find out how many vaccines have been distributed, how many doses have been administered, and the percentage of Michiganders vaccinated.

• From the CDC COVID Data Tracker reporting, 58.0% of Michiganders age 16 and up have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This includes federal partners vaccinating Michiganders who do not report to the state.

• Michigan’s dose metrics:  Delivered 10,800,815 doses; Administered 8,124,970 doses with 4,514,771 first doses and 3,610,199 second doses.

• From state data:
  • 52.5% of Michiganders age 12 and up have received at least one dose and 45.2% are fully vaccinated.
  • 54.8% of Michiganders age 16 and up have received at least one dose and 47.9% are fully vaccinated.
  • 77.5% of Michiganders age 65 and up have received at least on dose and 72.3% are fully vaccinated.
  • This information is based on the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) data as viewed on the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard and may not include Michiganders vaccinated out of state or through federal entities.
• 76,789 Michigan adolescents, age 12-15, have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
• Here is the percentage breakdown by age group showing 15.4% of 12-15-year-olds who have received the vaccine along with other age groups:

  

Now for Sunday and Monday’s COVID-19 data and Bridge Michigan’s Coronavirus Tracker.

 

New Cases

• Today’s daily case count represents confirmed cases over two days with the average number of 689 cases per day for a total of 1,378 new cases. On Saturday, 1,013 new cases were reported. These figures are lower than this time a week ago when there were over 2,200 cases reported for Sunday and Monday and over 1,280 cases reported for Saturday.
• The seven-day average decreased to 1,104 cases, down from 1,644 cases a week ago.
• The total number of confirmed cases stands at 884,580.

Deaths

• Fourteen COVID-19 deaths were reported today representing deaths over two days, while 86 deaths were reported Saturday.
• There have been 18,953 total deaths related to coronavirus in Michigan since the start of the pandemic.

Hospitalizations

• The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients reported today is 1,487 with 409 patients in the ICU and 34 pediatric patients.

Testing

• Of the 22,300 diagnostic laboratory tests reported today, 4.35% were positive with a seven-day average of 5.2%.

Vaccinations

• Over 8.1 million doses of the safe and effective COVID-19 have been administered to over 4.5 million Michiganders.
• Michigan ranks 9th among all states for total doses administered, 9th for people with at least one dose, and 9^th for people fully vaccinated.

 

All Michiganders age 12 and up are encouraged to sign up for the vaccine. 

• To find a vaccination location and schedule an appointment, visit the Michigan.gov/Coronavirus website or the CDC COVID Vaccine Finder.
• You can also check with local pharmacies: Rite Aid, Meijer, Kroger, Walmart, Costco, CVS, Walgreens, Snyder Drugs, SpartanNash, Health Mart, Good Neighbor and the CPESN network of independent pharmacies.
• Minors ages 12 to 17 will need a parent or legal guardian to provide written consent for COVID-19 vaccination.

• Residents who don’t have access to the internet or who need assistance navigating the vaccine scheduling process can call the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 (press 1) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

Don’t bring COVID-19 home. Find a test site and get tested.

• The state is offering pop-up, neighborhood, port of entry, and welcome center sites located throughout Michigan to encourage travelers to get tested for COVID-19. For the complete schedule, visit: Coronavirus – Community Based Pop-Up Rapid Antigen Testing Events (michigan.gov).
• To find a testing site near you, visit Coronavirus – Test (michigan.gov).

 

Your Resources 

• Teens and COVID-19 Vaccines
• Vaccines.gov – Search for COVID-19 vaccine locations
• Local Health Department Vaccine Information
• Michigan’s COVID-19 Hotline 1-888-535-6136, press 1
• Michigan Find a Test Site
• Coronavirus – Community Based Pop-Up Rapid Antigen Testing Events (michigan.gov)
• Michigan COVID-19 Response 
• Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard 
• CDC COVID Data Tracker
• When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated | CDC
• FEMA COVID-19 funeral expense assistance or call FEMA at 1-844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585)

 

Vaccination Goals

• 70% of Michiganders age 16 and up vaccinated as quickly as possible.
• 95% of people get their second doses of vaccine within the expected time frame.
• Zero Disparity in vaccination rates across racial and ethnic groups or by social vulnerability index.
• 20-minutes, no Michigander should have to drive more than 20 minutes to reach a vaccination site.

 Thank you for doing your part.