GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Michigan on Friday reported 5,031 newly confirmed coronavirus cases and 29 related deaths.

Friday’s data update was released later than usual because of technical difficulties, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said.

Michigan has now recorded 814,622 total confirmed cases since the virus was first detected here in March 2020 and 17,168 deaths.

On Thursday, labs tested 48,241 samples for the virus and 5,354 were positive, a rate of 11.1%. The number of positive tests is not the same as the number of new cases because people may be tested more than once. Additionally, testing numbers are from a single calendar date, while the number of new cases lists the increase since the last time the state compiled the data; these two time frames do not match up precisely.

Kent County reported 326 more cases for a total of 61,888. The number of deaths stood unchanged from the previous day at 711.

Wayne County, hit hardest by the virus, recorded two more deaths for a total of 4,251 and confirmed 921 more cases for a total of 138,025. Neighboring Oakland County has had 93,479 cases (613 more than the previous day); the number of deaths was revised down by one to 2,037, which has not been uncommon as cases are double-checked and sometimes moved between jurisdictions. Macomb County has had 84,413 cases (426 more) and 2,041 deaths (seven more).

Michigan has received nearly 8.4 million vaccine doses and nearly 6.3 million of those have been administered. Nearly 47% of the state’s population over the age of 16 has received at least one shot and 33% has finished their doses. For the past few weeks, the state has been delivering final doses to about 4% or 5% of the population per week.

“We’re going to continue to do everything we can to remove barriers to accessing this vaccine, and having it available in more places, through more providers,” Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist told News 8 Friday. “At the same time, we need to be having conversations … making sure that people know how important it is to get vaccinated and having those conversations. That’s ultimately what’s going to make the difference so we can end the pandemic on our own terms.”

The federal government is sending 200 people to help staff mass vaccination sites at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids and Ford Field and the TCF Center in Detroit. All should be in place by Wednesday.

While Michigan still has the worst surge in country, there is reason for optimism: the average case rate appears to be on the downtrend. The test positivity average has dropped more than three percentage points from its early April high and now sits around 15%. Additionally, hospitalizations have been declining since Monday, dipping below the fall peak Thursday.

The rate of daily deaths, however, is still growing and the seven-day average is now above 50. It is a lagging metric, so it changes after others.