Michigan: 54% vaccinated, including residents outside state

Michigan said late Friday that 54% of adults ages 16 and up have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot, a roughly 2.5 percentage point jump after factoring in people who were vaccinated outside the state or at federal facilities.

The addition of nearly 227,000 residents to the state’s count put Michigan close to a 55% benchmark Gov. Gretchen says is needed to allow in-person work in all sectors, including offices. The reopening step will occur two weeks after the milestone is reached.

State officials said a new tracker uses data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which can access data from out-of-state providers and federal entities like veterans hospitals.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive and chief deputy for health, said the “Vacc to Normal” tracker provides the most complete vaccination estimate.

“By getting shots in their arms as soon as possible, Michiganders can protect themselves, their families and their communities and help end this pandemic as quickly as possible,” she said in a statement.

Nearly 4.4 million Michiganders, 53.9%, ages 16 and older have received one dose. That is higher than 51.5% shown on the state’s regular vaccine dashboard Friday.

The state health department urged people who were vaccinated in another state to bring their card to their next doctor’s appointment or to their local health department, so their immunization information is updated in the Michigan Care Improvement Registry.

Whitmer, a Democrat, unveiled a plan more than a week ago to tie the lifting of coronavirus restrictions to the vaccination rate.

At a 60%, capacity at sports stadiums, banquet halls, conference centers and funeral homes will rise to 25% after two weeks — and 50% at gyms. Restaurants and bars will no longer have an 11 p.m. curfew.

All indoor capacity limits will be lifted two weeks after 65% of eligible people have one dose, though social distancing will remain.

At 70%, the state two weeks later will rescind its mask and gatherings order and stop imposing broad mitigation measures unless unanticipated circumstances arise, such as vaccine-resistant variants. The agency could delay eased restrictions in regions with a seven-day case rate of more than 250 per million residents.  (AP)