GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Michigan has reported 6,311 more confirmed cases of coronavirus and 10 more related deaths.
It’s the largest single-day case report in nearly four months.
The Wednesday update from the state brings the total number of cases in Michigan since the start of the pandemic to 672,259 and the total number of related deaths to 16,092.
On Tuesday, labs tested 40,876 samples for the virus and 6,176, or 15.11%, were positive. The number of positive tests is not the same as the number of new cases because people may be tested more than once. Additionally, testing numbers are from a single calendar date, while the number of new cases lists the increase since the last time the state compiled the data; these two time frames do not match up precisely.
Kent County confirmed 398 more cases for a total of 53,219. The number of deaths remained unchanged from the previous day at 683.
Berrien County reported one additional death, bringing its total to 232. It has had 11,718 cases.
Wayne County, Michigan’s most populous, confirmed 1,155 more cases of the virus for a total of 109,814 since the start of the pandemic and reported one more death for a total of 4,022. Neighboring Oakland County has had 75,423 confirmed cases (833 more than the previous day) and 1,947 deaths (no change). Macomb County has had 66,775 cases (966 more) and 1,918 deaths (no change).
Michigan is in the midst of a case surge, with the average case rate and testing positivity rates climbing and now higher than they have been since December. Hospitalizations also keep rising, but the daily death rate has so far remained low.
The seven-day average of the positivity rate is above 12%, more than four times the 3% public health officials look for to show community spread is controlled.
THE VACCINE ROLLOUT
So far, Michigan has received nearly 5 million vaccine doses and nearly 4.3 million of those have been administered. A little more than a third of the state’s population over the age of 16 has gotten at least one shot.
It takes about two weeks after your final dose for the vaccine to be fully effective. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services told News 8 Wednesday that it has identified 246 fully vaccinated people who have tested positive for the virus. That’s about .015% of the more than 1.6 million people in Michigan who are fully vaccinated.
MDHHS spokesperson Lynn Sutfin qualified that some of the 246 people could ultimately be removed from the count “due to continuing to test positive from a recent infection prior to being fully vaccinated.”
Sutfin noted that while the vaccines significantly reduce your chance of the contracting the virus — by up to 95% — they don’t eliminate the risk entirely.
“Studies indicate that even if vaccinated people do become ill, they are far less likely to experience severe illness requiring hospitalization or resulting in death,” she added. “These cases are undergoing further review to determine if they meet other (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) criteria for determination of potential breakthrough, including the absence of a positive antigen or PCR test less than 45 days prior to the post-vaccination positive test.”
While Sutfin did not have readily available data on how many, if any, of the 246 had been hospitalized, West Michigan-based Spectrum Health President and CEO Tina Freese Decker said Tuesday that her hospitals have not cared for a single patient who has been fully vaccinated.
Sutfin went on to say that the possibility of infection is why vaccinated people are urged to keep wearing masks, practicing social distancing and washing their hands frequently until a larger percentage of the population has the shots.
Spectrum on Tuesday opened eligibility to everyone age 16 and up. Several other counties and cities across the state have done the same, and everyone in the state has been instructed to do so effective Monday.
At the same time, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is upping the state’s daily vaccination goal to 100,000. The state has already surpassed its initial goal of 50,000 shots daily, last week averaging more than about 70,000 shots given per day.
The goal is to vaccinate 70% of the state’s population to reach herd immunity.