(WWJ) -- Michigan has finally reached a key COVID-19 milestone, as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that 70% of adults over the age of 16 have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
MDHHS officials say that amounts to about 5.7 million Michigan residents.
While a 70% vaccination rate had been a goal for the state dating back to the spring when residents first began receiving shots, MDHHS says its objective remains “to get as many Michiganders vaccinated as possible, as the vaccine is the best defense against the virus.”
“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, per a press release. “Vaccines are how we prevent infectious variants from spreading and threatening our ability to contain the pandemic.
Between January and October, unvaccinated Michiganders accounted for 93.% of the state’s COVID-19 cases and 90.7% of virus-related hospitalizations and 90.5% of deaths linked to the coronavirus.
“As more individuals are vaccinated, it is less likely that the virus will circulate and mutate, avoiding the development of more transmissible and vaccine-resistant variants in the future,” MDHHS said in a press release.
But as vaccination rates continue to rise, MDHHS says so too are cases and hospitalizations.
The state on Monday reported more than 21,000 new cases since Saturday, as well as 67 new deaths.
The state says hospitalizations have climbed above 3,200 statewide for the first time since April. That number includes 48 children.
Beaumont Health officials announced last week their hospitals were filling up as the area begins to experience a “fourth surge” of COVID-19.
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There was some good news, however, as state health officials reported outbreaks in 86 schools -- a drop compared to last week's stats. The outbreaks include 17 students and staff at Pioneer Middle School in Plymouth, as well as four outbreaks in Macomb and Oakland Counties.
MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel is encouraging Michiganders to get the vaccine and practice safety protocols to curtail the spread of the virus.
“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,” she said. “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.”
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