(WXYZ) — The State of Michigan has surpassed its 70% vaccination milestone for residents ages 16 and older, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday.
Nearly 5.7 million Michiganders have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the state.
“We know the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are our way out of the pandemic,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive at MDHHS, in a press release. “Vaccines are how we prevent infectious variants from spreading and threatening our ability to contain the pandemic. It’s important to take a moment to celebrate the hard work of those who have developed these vaccines, as well as those who have administered vaccines these past many months. We also thank Michiganders who have done their part to keep their families and communities safe by getting vaccinated.”
The state says its objective is to get as many Michiganders vaccinated as possible.
Despite the 70% milestone, cases in the state continue to rise. Health experts said last week that Michigan is in a fourth surge.
“We urge Michiganders who are eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to continue practices we know help stop the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks and social distancing. The vaccine continues to be how we will return to normalcy in the state, and we thank all of those who have done their part to end this pandemic,” said MDHHS director Elizabeth Hereto in a press release.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.