Courtesy Image An illustration of the coronavirus provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ALPENA — The number of Northeast Michiganders actively infected with COVID-19 decreased today for the first time since October as local public health officials reported more new recoveries than new infections.

And, in more good news in the coronavirus fight, frontline health care workers at two Michigan hospitals became the first in the state to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Pulmonary and critical care physician Marc McClelland, 46, was among those receiving vaccinations today at Spectrum Health Butterworth in Grand Rapids. Vaccinations also were carried out at Michigan Medical in Ann Arbor.

The first vaccinations in Alpena are expected to be administered this week.

“Hopefully, this vaccine will bring cause for hope and optimism,” McClelland told reporters. “It’s been very well scrutinized. The FDA has recommended it is safe. It’s a wonderful opportunity.”

Public health officials reported today that 91 Northeast Michiganders were confirmed infected since Friday, but 105 recovered, meaning they lived 30 days after being diagnosed and are not showing symptoms.

That means that, as of today, 1,375 Northeast Michiganders were actively infected, meaning they’d been confirmed infected but have not recovered or died, and could infect others.

That’s down from 1,390 on Friday, but still significantly higher than the 14 actively infected on Oct. 14, the last time the number of actively infected Northeast Michiganders dropped.

The interactive graphic below shows active infections in Northeast Michigan over time. Story continues below graphic.

Still, public health officials today reported one more Alpena County resident died after being infected with the disease. The state reported two residents at the nursing home Lincoln Haven have died as 39 new infections associated with area nursing homes were reported.

Officials said 46 Alpena County residents, 24 Presque Isle County residents, 12 Montmorency County residents, and nine Alcona County residents were confirmed infected since Friday.

Fifteen residents or staffers at MediLodge of Alpena, six at MediLodge of Greenview, one at MediLodge of Rogers City, 11 at Lincoln Haven, and six at Jamieson Nursing Home have been confirmed infected since the state’s last nursing home update a week ago.

Check out a video below from Alpena Community College encouraging residents to mask up. Viewing on mobile? Turn your device horizontally for the best viewing experience. Story continues below video.

As of today, 18 COVID-19 patients, two of whom were in intensive care, were hospitalized at MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena, according to state data. The Alpena hospital was 36% full.

As of today, 121 people were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection across the state-designated, 18-county health care region that includes Alpena, Presque Isle, and Montmorency counties, according to state data.

The interactive chart below shows cumulative infections, recoveries and deaths in Northeast Michigan over time. Story continues below graphic.

Since the pandemic hit Michigan in mid-March, 1,763 Northeast Michiganders have been infected, according to local public health agencies.

Of those, 355 have recovered and 33 have died.

Health care workers across the country began receiving the vaccine today — marking the start of the biggest vaccination campaign in American history. About 20 million people could be immunized by the end of December if a second vaccine is authorized soon.

The vaccine distributed today is produced by Michigan-based Pfizer and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Flip through the interactive timeline below to see how the coronavirus spread through Northeast Michigan. Story continues below the timeline.

Additional Michigan hospitals are expected to begin vaccinating health care staff later this week, according to the state.

Meanwhile, District Health Department No. 4 officials said CDC guidelines allow infected people or those exposed to infected people to quarantine for 10 days, instead of the recommended 14, if the individual does not develop symptoms or clinical evidence of COVID-19 and daily symptom monitoring continues through day 14 after the last exposure.

However, state law requires all infected people to stay home from work for 14 days.