4,015 new cases, 176 deaths reported in daily count

Michigan added 4,015 confirmed coronavirus cases and 176 deaths Thursday after a vital records review by state health workers found significantly more deaths in some of the state’s most populated counties.

The total number of cases in the state since the pandemic began is 512,751 with 13,094 deaths.

Meanwhile, vaccines are slowly being distributed and administered, although the 174,749 doses administered to people statewide falls far short of the state’s goal of inoculating 70 percent of the state population older than 16.

Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter warned that supply of the vaccine remains limited and that priority within the county remains frontline health workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

“Our health department is currently vaccinating priority 1A individuals including emergency medical personnel, healthcare workers, and residents of long-term care facilities,” Coulter said. “We look forward to expanding to the next phase which will include essential workers and residents 65 and older but ask for their patience because the number of appointments available is limited to the number of doses we have received from the state. We urge the State of Michigan to increase Oakland County’s vaccine allotment while expanding the number of providers administering the vaccine.”

A day earlier, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that the next phase of inoculations would begin Monday for people 65 and older and other frontline workers. Whitmer has been critical of the federal government’s distribution of the vaccine to states.

Vaccines are available by appointment only, and people should call their local health departments to arrange an appointment.

Vaccines that have been administered to people so far include 23,699 in Oakland County, 11,980 in Macomb County, 15,996 in Wayne County, and 2,035 in Detroit.

On Thursday, Oakland County recorded 432 cases and 31 deaths. There were 237 cases and 14 deaths in Macomb County, 341 cases and 20 deaths in Wayne County, and 121 cases and nine deaths in Detroit.

Elsewhere in the state, there were 132 cases and six deaths in Genesee County, 111 cases and seven deaths in Ingham County, 267 cases and eight deaths in Kent County, and 274 cases and nine deaths in Saginaw County.

In rural mid Michigan, there were nine cases and one death in Clare County, 21 cases and two deaths in Gratiot County, and 27 cases and no deaths in Isabella County.