(WXYZ) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer raised Michigan's COVID-19 vaccination goal from 50,000 to 100,000 shots per day.
The state says the new goal is based on its effort to expand vaccine distribution by partnering with private and public organizations in communities across the state.
To date, Michigan has administered 4,207,102 vaccines, moving the state closer to its goal of equitably vaccinating at least 70% of Michiganders ages 16 and older as soon as possible.
“Michigan is making great strides as our rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines continues ramping up,” Whitmer said in a press release. “The safe, effective vaccines are one of the best ways to protect you and your family from coronavirus, and they are essential to getting our country back to normal so we can hug our families, get back to work, send our kids to school, and get together again. These new, higher vaccine targets are a testament to what we can do together, and we need to meet them so we can keep rebuilding our economy. Thanks to capable leadership at the national level, heroic efforts by frontline workers who are working around the clock, and the dedication of millions of Michiganders, we will put this pandemic behind us. I urge everyone to continue doing their part with masks, social distancing, and hand washing, and when you are eligible, get your vaccine.”
In next week’s shipment, the Biden Administration will increase the state’s direct allocation by 66,020 doses for a total of 620,040 vaccines, a weekly record high for Michigan. This allocation includes 147,800 doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“The state is working hand-in-hand with health care systems, local health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers, primary care providers and others to get Michiganders vaccinated with the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “Providers have administered more than four million doses in just four months and we praise and appreciate their willingness to serve their communities, and are confident they will meet and exceed the new 100,000 shots per day goal.”
The month of March brought massive increases in COVID-19 in Michigan, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Active cases of COVID-19 are up more than 163% from March 1 through March 30, according to the data, and up more than 56% just in the last week.
The increase in active cases coincides with a massive increase in daily new cases of COVID-19.