Michigan passed a grim COVID-19 milestone Friday as the state reported more than 20 thousand confirmed deaths due to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
These numbers do not include deaths due to what are considered probable COVID cases.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also reports since early March of 2020, the state has seen more than 919,000 confirmed COVID cases.
The daily case count in Michigan has been increasing since mid-July disrupting a declining trend in new cases following a spring surge.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and health officials are trying to reverse those numbers with a campaign to boost vaccination rates.
Just under 55 percent of Michigan residents aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated.