1/27/21: New infections, deaths stable

Michigan: Average infection and death rates have been largely stable the past few days.

On Wednesday, state officials reported 1,681 new cases of COVID-19. That brought the seven day moving average down slightly to 1,727 new cases per day. The average has been stuck in that general vicinity for more than a week.

The state also reported just six deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday. The single-day number is lower than it’s been in months, but is offset by high numbers discovered during regular reviews of previous death records. On Wednesday, the seven day moving average was about 72 deaths per day, which is near where it’s been for almost a week.

Meanwhile, hospitalizations have hit their lowest level in three months. On Wednesday, the state reported 1,594 patients being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals in Michigan. That’s down nearly 500 from a week ago.

Kalamazoo County: County officials reported 39 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. That brought the seven day average to just about 38 new cases per day, which is close to where it’s been since the beginning of the week.

The county reported no new deaths from the coronavirus. Yet, the average still stands at 2.43 deaths per day over the past seven days.

Vaccines: More than 800,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered in Michigan as of Tuesday.

Despite early struggles to get the vaccine out to people, Michigan has improved its standing among states in terms of the rate of vaccination. Earlier this month, Michigan ranked 45th among states according to the percentage of people it had managed to vaccinate. Today, Michigan ranks 20th, with 6,500 people vaccinated per 100,000 population.

In Kalamazoo County, 25,447 doses of the vaccine have been administered, with 5,760 people receiving both doses. Still, the county is struggling to get vaccines out to all the people who want it and are eligible. Supply is the main issue. Facilities in Kalamazoo County have only received about 10,000 doses this week, with many of those already spoken for.