The state of Michigan reported nearly 800 additional COVID-19 cases on Sunday, August 23rd.
New figures from the state Department of Health and Human Services showed 768 new daily confirmed cases, increasing the state’s total to 96,792 since March.
An additional four deaths linked to COVID-19 brought the total count of the state to 6,393 deaths.
Approximately 800 new cases of coronavirus in Michigan, four additional deaths
The state also reported 1,016 likely cases and 266 likely deaths related to the virus. The average of seven days for new cases is 581, down from 759 the previous week.
On top of the additional facts and figures, the state has reopened problems between school parents in Flint and Ypsilanti to gym owners in Wyoming.
Back to school is ‘total chaos’ for Michigan parents
Mrs. Donald K through 12 Academy of Flint will immediately begin at 8 a.m. Aug. 31 for her four students.
“We’ll have a hot breakfast and we’ll wear new outfits and we’ll do our hair, just like the first day of school,” said Tasha Donald, mother and now de-facto teacher, principal, lunch chef, janitor and behavioral specialist.
She does everything she can to create a school atmosphere amidst a pandemic that has many children learning through computers instead of next to classmates.
With most students in Michigan returning to school in just a few weeks, and some already returning to school, many parents are preparing to be expected again from multiple new roles in their children’s education. Some embrace the change, while others are frustrated about the limited options and worry about the myriad of other new roles in their children’s lives.
Lawmakers recently passed legislation aimed at advising schools through the back-to-school process. The bills do not require personal instruction, but there are provisions that once stipulate in school districts that it is safe for children to return, that districts are given priority to first get lower grade students into the classrooms.
School boards would be required to review their curricula once a month and provide an opportunity for public comment. There would also be changes to the formula for funding per student. Districts would need to prove that they provide at least two two-way interactions per week between at least 75% of enrolled students and their teachers.
“Elsewhere in our state, peace of mind deserves to be known that their children will receive the quality education that prepares them for future success,” House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Delivery) said during a briefing in the floor prior to a final House vote.
But at the moment, parents feel anything but “peace of mind.”
School districts have been allowed to come up with their own plans for the start of the school year, and parents say the plans are complicated.
“It’s total chaos,” said Colleen Brewer of Ypsilanti. Her older son Zachary, 16, is a senior at Huron High School and younger son Maxwell, 13, is a freshman.
Gyms in Michigan are in crisis as some fight the law and others blow it out
Kathy Birge has owned Anytime Fitness in the suburb of Grand Rapids, Wyoming, for more than five years. She has spent her time and money on making it a successful business. She calls her members her “second family.”
But after five months of forced closure by the state due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Kent County gym is losing money at what an unsustainable rate could prove. Their attempts to get help from small businesses have failed.
“We are flourishing and there is not much help to stop it,” said Birge. ‘It kills us. I’m not sure if we can recover. ‘
While some fitness centers in Michigan, such as Birge’s, follow the rules in the Executive Order 2020-160, others have reopened and are trying to fly under the radar. State health officials say they have received dozens of complaints and sent letters informing owners that they are in violation of the executive order.
Some have cooperated with the warnings. Others have set up a fight.
In Ottawa County, the owner of a Powerhouse Fitness Center in Grand Haven has been charged with a felony by the Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office after initially refusing to close its doors. He was in court on Thursday, August 20 for a pre-trial hearing, but refused to provide an update on his case.
On Friday, a group of gym owners with the Michigan Fitness Club Association called on Whitmer and state health officials to have fitness centers reopened, saying they have safety protocols in place.
“Two things have become clear in the past five months,” Burn Fitness co-owner Alyssa Tushman said in a group release. ‘One is that gyms are not a COVID threat. The other is that obesity and high blood pressure are. We are a state of 10 million people and 32 percent of adults are obese – which is one of the leading causes of COVID hospitalizations. ”
COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to washing your hands regularly and not recommending your face, officials advise practicing social distance, assuming everyone carries the virus.
Health officials say you should stay at least 6 feet away from others and work from home, if possible.
Use disinfectant wipes or disinfect spray cleaners on frequent touches of surfaces in your home (door handles, faucet, tire tops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go to places like shops.
Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face masks over their mouths and noses when they are in public indoor and outdoor areas. See an explanation of what that means here.
Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/.
