(WXYZ) — Wednesday marks one year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, and we're taking a look at what's being done at the state and local level to get life closer to the way things used to be.
For some, that will never be the same, with 16,000 lives lost in Michigan.
In Detroit, Mayor Mike Duggan announced a new COVID-19 vaccine site at the Northwest Activities Center, which will be used to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It's a step he says is crucial to regaining the city's economic health and public safety.
"Detroit led this country in dropping COVID infection rate. We are not leading this country in getting vaccinated, and if we are going to drive the come back of this city it's going to be important," Duggan said during his State of the City address.
He's encouraging everyone to get vaccinated and to take a friend or neighbor. That's what it's going to take to get Detroit going again.
While announcing the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine location, Duggan said all Detroiters will be eligible for a vaccine by May.
"But, we have to talk about what happens when we reopen. and people all talk about we got to reopen the restaurants, reopen the stadiums, we got to reopen the schools," Duggan said. "We're missing something pretty important and it's affecting every single one of you. We have to reopen the criminal justice system."
At the state level, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she's working with the federal government to secure as many doses as possible. She spoke on the 16,000 lives lost.
"It's like having three 9/11 type events over the last year in our one state. 16,000 people is a lot. We've got nurses and doctors and police and first responders who've been on the frontline throughout this pandemic," Whitmer said. "So, by lighting up your home with a blue light to acknowledge the incredible work is one way we can show we're all in this together."
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.