In Michigan, 23K are 鈥榬ecovered鈥 from COVID. Many still feel like hell.
by Robin Erb (Bridge) As a data point on the state coronavirus dashboard, Nancy Blodgett has moved to 鈥渞ecovered.鈥 And yes, she home after getting whomped full-force by COVID-19. But recovered? Not even close. 鈥淗eavens no. 鈥楻ecovered鈥 is when you can go back to work [and] when you can walk to the mailbox and not […]
Michigan definition of coronavirus 鈥榬ecovery鈥 looser than other states
Editor’s note: Washtenaw County and the State of Michigan use different definitions of “recovered”. In Washtenaw County’s COVID-19 numbers, “recovered” is defined as no symptoms/fever for over 72 hours and at least 7 days since symptoms started. Robin Erb (Bridge) Not dead. In the crassest of terms, that how the state of Michigan defines the聽22,686 […]
Whitmer reopens Michigan from coronavirus in phases: What that means to you
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday announced details of a聽six-phase economic restart plan聽and announced that Michigan is already in the third phase because coronavirus case counts are 鈥渇lattening.鈥 That means manufacturing firms, which represent approximately 19 percent of the state economy, will be permitted to reopen Monday with聽new workplace safety rules. With Detroit Big Three automakers […]
Part nurse, part detective: A day in the life of a Michigan contact tracer
by Kelly House (Bridge) Christina Zilke first interaction with her patients is often unpleasant. As a contact tracer with the Washtenaw County Health Department, she must ask them to relive the onset of an illness that has made them a statistic in a global pandemic. Zilke knows how important it is to interview COVID-19 patients […]
Michigan launches coronavirus contact tracing. Here what you need to know.
by Kelly House,聽Riley Beggin (Bridge) Successfully reopening Michigan economy requires government officials to know who has COVID-19 鈥 and to whom they could have spread it. Without that, health experts say, reopening the state may be a major gamble marked by waves of new infections spread by people who don鈥檛 yet know they鈥檙e sick. As […]
GOP-led Legislature sues Michigan Gov. Whitmer over emergency powers
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING 鈥 Republican legislators聽filed suit聽against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday alleging her attempt to unilaterally extend emergency declarations amid the COVID-19 crisis is illegal, 鈥渁bsurd,鈥 unconstitutional and 鈥渘onsensical.鈥 GOP leaders are asking the Michigan Court of Claims for an聽immediate ruling聽declaring that Whitmer emergency orders, including her stay-at-home and business closure […]
Tribal casinos may be headed for clash with Whitmer, Nessel over reopening
by Meghanlata Gupta,聽Ron French (Bridge) Some Michigan tribal casinos are making plans to open as early as May 16, setting up a possible showdown with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel, who fear crowds at slot machines could spread the coronavirus. How the state will respond to the planned openings isn鈥檛 known yet; […]
Gun ban at Michigan Capitol unlikely, despite urging from Dana Nessel
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) Scenes of聽armed demonstrators聽towering over lawmakers during a protest at the Michigan Capitol two weeks ago have prompted calls to ban firearms inside the historic building and thrust a little-known commission into the middle of the debate. But Michigan Capitol Commission members, a majority of whom serve at the pleasure of leadership […]
Q&A with Brian Calley: 1 in 7 Michigan small businesses worry about survival
by Paula Gardner (Bridge) One in seven small businesses in Michigan may not survive the COVID-19 pandemic and related closure orders, their owners warn in a survey released this week. 鈥淢ichigan small businesses are truly struggling to survive,鈥 said Brian Calley, president of the聽Small Business Association of Michigan. The survey, conducted in late April of […]
鈥楾here is no playbook鈥 for Michigan businesses to navigate COVID-19
by David Wilkins (Bridge) One statistic that does not show up in CMS Energy financial statement points to the unmapped road Michigan businesses are traveling due to the global pandemic. 鈥淎t this time, we’ve experienced zero fatalities,鈥 CEO Patti Poppe said during the utility first-quarter earnings call on April 27. She went on to cite […]
