As of Oct. 7, more than two-thirds of Michigan residents who are 16 or older — 68.4% — have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In April, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stated that COVID restrictions, including mask mandates and limits on gatherings, would remain in place until the state attained a 70% vaccination rate.

On May 5, Bridge Michigan reported, “Whitmer’s own experts at the University of Michigan, in an analysis this week, suggest it might take until Aug. 1 to hit 70 percent because of the decline in vaccination rates.”

As of Oct. 7, a majority of residents 16 and older — 5,534,472 — have received one dose. That’s 68.4%.

During the week ending Oct. 7, Michigan added 55,604 people to the number who have received a COVID vaccine shot. That’s the lowest weekly number since Dec. 20, 2020.

The first vaccine shot was administered in Michigan on Dec. 14, 2020.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says natural infection “almost always” is a far better form of immunity than a vaccine. But it doesn’t allow people to cite it as a reason to receive an exemption from COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

The department states on its website that vaccines are not required for school-age children if they have a documented immunity. Another department page notes, “It is true that natural infection almost always causes better immunity than vaccines.” It adds, “Vaccines cause less serious risks but, like natural infection, induce long-lived immunity.”

But the department takes another approach when it comes to the coronavirus. It says, “There is not enough information currently available to say if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again; this is called natural immunity. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this.”

Michigan State University follows the health department’s recommendations on COVID-19. In August, it was sued in federal court by an employee for not allowing natural immunity to serve an exemption to its requirement that staff and students receive the vaccination.

A ruling on the case is pending.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she is proud to be known as the “fix-the-damn-roads governor,” even though Michigan’s roads are in worse condition now than when she took office.

“I’m proud to be known as the fix-the-damn-roads governor ... and I am proud to be working with an administration that has got the same values,” Whitmer stated at an appearance by President Joe Biden in Howell, according to a tweet from Jonathan Oosting of Bridge Michigan.

State funding has increased from $3.6 billion to $3.7 billion since Whitmer entered office. In the 2017-18 year, 40.5% of roads eligible for federal aid were in poor condition. That number increased to 42.4% in the most recent assessment in 2019-20, according to the Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council.