Vaccine eligibility expands
Michigan will see a big expansion of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility starting on Monday, March 22.
- Starting Monday (March 22) all areas of the state may, as vaccine supplies are available, implement vaccination of people who are aged 50 and up (part of Phase 2), as well as vaccination of people aged 16 and up who have disabilities and/or medical conditions, as well as their caregiver family members and guardians.
- By April 5, 2021, all areas of the state may, as vaccine supplies are available, implement vaccination of all people aged 16 and up who were not previously eligible.
As of Friday, 27.1% of residents, including about 2/3 of the 65 and up group, had received at least one dose of a vaccine.
How to get an appointment
- Local departments: Vaccines are being distributed to local health departments — you can find a list of departments who are open for appointments here.
- Hospitals: Major hospital systems like Beaumont, Henry Ford and others are offering vaccinations to patients. Find a list of links to each hospital system here.
- Ford Field: Michigan’s regional mass vaccination site will be at Ford Field in Detroit, with vaccinations starting on March 24. You can register for an appointment here.
- Other local orgs: Nonprofits, churches and other community organizations are setting up COVID-19 vaccine clinics as vaccines are made available. Check with your local groups. (ACCESS in Dearborn is offering appointment and walk-in clinics over the next couple of weeks.)
There are various ways to request an appointment, including by phone. Here’s a list of the six ways Michigan residents can sign up for a vaccine.
NOTE: Appointments are based on vaccine supply, and while supply is increasing, you can still expect some delays and backlogs, depending on where you live. Register wherever you can.
Weather: Sunshine with highs in upper 60s today
Coronavirus in Michigan 💉
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 624,811 as of Saturday, including 15,897 deaths, state officials report.
Saturday’s update includes a total of 2,660 new cases and 47 additional deaths -- including 39 deaths identified during a review of records, meaning they did not occur between Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday, the state reported a total of 562,775 recoveries from the virus.
- The state no longer provides coronavirus data updates on Sundays; the next update is expected Monday afternoon.
Testing has been steady around 35,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate above 6% as of Thursday. The state has reported a slight up-tick in hospitalizations over the last three weeks.
Michigan’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 2,482 on Saturday -- the highest since mid-January. The 7-day death average was 20 on Saturday and has been flat for several weeks. The state’s fatality rate is 2.6%. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 46,100 on Saturday -- near the lowest it’s been since October.
Michigan has reported more than 3.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered, as of Wednesday, with 27.1% of residents having received at least one dose.
According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 29.7 million cases have been reported in the U.S., with more than 541,200 deaths reported from the virus.
Here’s a look at more of the data: