The number of new daily COVID-19 infections is once again rising, as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports a nearly 50 percent jump from a week ago.
Cases have gone up in all but one state over the past two weeks, which health officials nationally have attributed to the fast-spreading delta variant of the coronavirus. Michigan’s seven-day average, 332, is double what it was two weeks ago. The test positivity rate, which also has been rising, was 4.7% on Thursday.
The state’s two-week case rate, however, is lower than in all but four states. Just 256 adults were hospitalized with confirmed infections, a fraction of the peak of more than 4,000 in April, when Michigan had a third surge.
About 63% of residents ages 16 and older have gotten at least one vaccine dose, which ranks middle of the pack among states.
Meanwhile, Michigan’s vaccine lottery has been mostly a failure. Since the launch of the sweepstakes, the number of people who have gotten the shot has only risen by around 1%, and the state still hasn't reached its goal of having 70% of the population vaccinated
However, the governor's office said last week that if the sweepstakes led one additional person to get vaccinated0, it has been a success.
