LANSING, Mich.—Governor Gretchen Whitmer and state health officials provided an update on Michigan’s response to COVID-19 on Tuesday.

Whitmer again called for school districts to offer in-person learning opportunities by March 1 or earlier.

“We have to do everything we can to get them back safely in the classroom so they can get the education they need,” Whitmer said.

Whitmer also announced that to date, the state has administered 1,292,572 COVID-19 vaccines.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the MDHHS chief medical executive, said while case rates are continuing to trend “overall in the right direction,” she is concerned about the new B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant.

“We now know of 45 cases of the variant identified in Michigan across 10 counties,” Khaldun said.

The variant first appeared in the United Kingdom but Khaldun said that not all cases in Michigan have been related to recent travel.