New cases drop below 3K, 25 deaths reported

New Michigan coronavirus cases dropped back below 3,000 Thursday but 25 new deaths were added to the state’s growing totals after a year of the pandemic.

The state health department announced 2,629 cases of the virus. The 25 deaths include 24 found during a review of state vital records by the health department.

In all, Michigan has had 618,421 confirmed cases of the virus and 15,835 deaths since the pandemic began.

The upward spike in new cases this week is primarily in the more populated areas of the state, particularly southeast Michigan, as more social and economic activities resume.

There were 363 new cases and seven deaths in Oakland County, 285 cases and four deaths in Macomb County, 254 cases in Wayne County, and 110 cases in Detroit.

In other areas of the state, there were 124 cases and two deaths in Kent County, 106 cases and one death in Genesee County, 74 cases and one death in Ingham County, and 51 cases and one death in

Saginaw County. In mid Michigan, there were no cases or deaths in Clare County, one case in Gratiot County, and 11 cases and one death in Isabella County. Ten of Michigan’s 83 counties had no new cases or deaths.

The state’s goal is to vaccinate 70% of the 8,096,917 people estimated to be age 16 and older, and health providers are gradually inching towards that target.

Health providers have completely vaccinated 2,127,386 people against the virus, an increase of 52,854 over the previous day.

Completely vaccinated are 284,342 people in Oakland County, 237,151 in Wayne County excluding Detroit, 167,344 in Macomb County, and 78,551 in Detroit.

By percentage, health providers have vaccinated 27.61% in Oakland County, 27.46% in Wayne County, 23.43% in Macomb County, and 15.11% in Detroit.

Vaccinate rates tend to be higher in more rural areas of the state. The highest rate is 42.6% in Presque Isle County, in the northern Lower Peninsula.