Southeast Michigan continues to drive cases higher

Michigan coronavirus cases remain high as more people move about with the warmer weather and with more and more vaccinations administered.

The state health department announced 6,303 new confirmed cases of the virus Thursday and 112 deaths, of which 81 were discovered during a review of vital records. That pushes the total to 770,822 cases and 16,731 deaths since the pandemic began more than a year ago. Roughly one in 13 Michigan residents have contracted the virus and one in 598 residents have died from it.

As has been the case, the daily numbers remain the highest in southeast Michigan which accounted for 44% of the new cases announced and 50% of the deaths.

There were 899 cases and 13 deaths in Oakland County, 734 cases and 12 deaths in Wayne County, 667 cases and 17 deaths in Macomb County, and 488 cases and 14 deaths in Detroit.

Other areas of the state with relatively high numbers are Kent County with 364 cases and five deaths, Genesee County with 241 cases and four deaths, Ottawa County with 186 cases and one death, St. Clair County with 169 cases and nine deaths, Ingham County with 133 cases and three deaths, Kalamazoo County with 115 cases and three deaths, and Jackson County with 112 cases and four deaths.

In midMichigan, there were 26 cases in Isabella County, 22 cases in Clare County, and six cases in Gratiot County.

Just two of Michigan’s 83 counties reported no new cases or deaths.

So far, 3,507,114 people age 16 and older, or 43.3%, have had at least one dose of the vaccine against the virus. The state’s goal is to reach 70% of that population. That includes 49.69% in Oakland County, 47.23% in Wayne County, 40.97% in Macomb County, and 26.52% in Detroit.

The highest vaccination rate is 61.47% in Leelanau County in the northern Lower Peninsula.