Detroit unveils new plans to vaccinate as many people as possible

DETROIT – Coronavirus vaccines are expected to surge in Michigan this week.

Starting Monday, all Michigan citizens age 16 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

READ: Michigan Opens COVID Vaccine Eligibility to Over 16s Monday: Best Appointment Options

The state is expected to receive a record number of doses, nearly 620,000.

The shipment comes as Michigan reports an increase in COVID. The state reported 8,413 new cases Saturday, the highest single-day count in four months.

Because the numbers are so high and some families are coming back from spring break, the Detroit Public Schools Community District is pausing in-person education.

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READ: Detroit Public Schools to Temporarily Switch to Virtual Learning After Spring Break

The City of Detroit is launching public service announcements featuring Detroiters talking about their experience with vaccines. It is not the only strategy the city has to vaccinate everyone.

“As the weather is nice outside, people let their guard down. Let’s be honest, ”said Detroit Public Health Director Denise Fair. “Our figures are very worrying. We are going in the wrong direction: 15% positivity. Just a few weeks ago, we were at a mere 3%. “

To try to combat that number, in addition to all the efforts already made, the city will now go into overdrive, trying to get more Detroiters to get the chance. Now, teens who are eligible will be able to get the vaccine on “Community Saturdays.”

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“Not only do we have the TCF Center downtown, but we also have Community Saturdays, where we are bringing the vaccine directly to Detroiters in their neighborhoods and it has been very successful,” Fair said.

Health officials have also been visiting mental health and substance abuse sites to help people there. The city said it has administered more than 200,000 doses of the vaccine, but with the addition of emerging vaccination sites, they hope to administer even more.

“We are setting up pop-ups based on where COVID-19 was most prominent at the height of the pandemic, so we have multiple pop-ups across the city,” Fair said. “We in the city are bringing the vaccine directly to Detroiters in a variety of different ways.”

Mayor Mike Duggan is expected to make a major announcement about the vaccination on Monday.