It has been 135 days since Michigan health officials announced the state’s first positive COVID-19 case, and leaders continue to grapple with the consequences of the virus.
Michigan reached 75,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, July 22, its southern neighbors added new pandemic precautions, and restaurants on both sides of the state are being labeled as possible sites of spread.
Here are the latest COVID-19 events for Thursday, July 23.
Michigan reaches 75,000 cases
Authorities announced 523 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and six new deaths on Wednesday, surpassing the mark of 75,000 confirmed cases in Michigan.
If “probable” totals, which include positive antibody tests, are also counted, Michigan has nearly 84,000 cases. That ranks 13th in the country, although Michigan is the 10th largest state by population.
The percentage of tests that tested positive was slightly lower on Wednesday, at 3.1%.
MSU converts freshman residence into isolation room COVID-19
As colleges plan a unique fall semester, Michigan State University officials announced a change in purpose for Akers Hall, traditionally a dorm for freshmen.
Akers Hall will not accommodate students, but will be used as solitary confinement for students who test positive on campus. It can have up to 500 people, under the isolation housing distribution plan.
Low-contact high school sports are not without COVID challenges
Volleyball teams are practicing on the sand courts outside, soccer teams are caught doing non-contact drills, and high school teams in all sports grapple with transportation questions as the fall sports season approaches.
Even sports like tennis and cross country could be in danger of not having a season, some leaders fear.
Republican-led Ohio issues own mask order
Michigan is not alone in requiring masks in many public places, as Ohio became the last state to join the list of states requiring facial covers on Wednesday.
Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, mandates that masks be worn in non-residential buildings, outdoors when they cannot keep 6 feet away from others, and when they use public transportation, similar to the Michigan mandate. It takes effect at 6 pm on Thursday.
DeWine also imposed a travel advisory, telling people from critical states to self-quarantine for 14 days before going public in Ohio.
It only applies to people who come from states with at least 15% of its residents with positive results, which only includes Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Texas, for now.
School board president removed for comments about coronavirus on social media
The Northville School Board voted 6-1 to remove Matthew Wilk from his role as chair of the board because of the comments he made on Facebook. The only one without a vote was Wilk.
Wilk’s comments on Facebook include: “This ‘pandemic’ only exists in falsified statistics that are yelled at in the news without context” and “How about we allow schools to reopen and Grandma can take extreme precautions? You can wear a spacesuit when you ‘need’ to go out and shop, and the rest of the world can get on with their lives, instead of closing everything because they could get sick. ”
Wilk was also censored and removed from all committee tasks, but remains on the board.
$ 2 Billion Vaccine Contract Includes Work in Michigan
The United States government has awarded a $ 1.95 billion contract to Pfizer and BioNTech to produce 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of 2020.
One of the production facilities under the contract is the Pfizer plant in Kalamazoo County.
Stage 1 of clinical trials is now complete. Americans will receive the vaccine for free, according to the White House agreement.
4 tips before taking the COVID-19 test
Nearly 1.8 million tests for coronavirus have been processed in Michigan since the pandemic began, and some residents offered some tips to know before going.
Know where you will be tested: some sites take minutes to process results, others take weeks.
Each test site is also different as to who accepts, whether appointments are necessary, and whether there are any costs.
Here are tips from 11 Michiganders who have been evaluated, talking about whether the test hurt and how long they waited, among other questions.
Grand Rapids Hotel Company Launches 580 Employees
AHC Hospitality is laying off 355 employees at the Amway Grand Plaza, 144 employees at the JW Marriott, 50 employees at the Courtyard by Marriott and 31 employees at the AC Hotel by Marriott, all in downtown Grand Rapids.
There were around 1,200 employees suspended due to the pandemic, but only 600 are being called to work for now, according to the company.
These layoffs are supposed to be temporary, but AHC Hospitality officials don’t know how long they will have to last.
4 thumb bars numbered as possible sites of coronavirus exposure
A party bus is blamed for exposing customers to COVID-19 at four Huron County bars and restaurants, according to one of the bars listed by the health department.
The exposure occurred on the night of July 11, and people who visited businesses are asked to quarantine and monitor symptoms.
3 restaurants in Muskegon area close after employees catch coronavirus
A trio of restaurants in and around Muskegon temporarily closed for the past week to clean up after employees tested positive for COVID-19.
Other staff members are being screened and restaurants are working with guidance from the Muskegon County Health Department.
Detroit Lions prepare fans for reduced capacity, face coverage requirements
If soccer happens this fall, the paper bags over the faces of Lions fans will have a second purpose.
A letter addressed to season ticket holders says fans who attend games at Ford Field should cover their faces. Some NFL teams have announced that they will host fanless games due to the pandemic.
COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to washing their hands regularly and not touching their faces, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone can carry the virus.
Health officials say you should stay at least 6 feet away from others and work from home, if possible.
Use sanitizing wipes or sanitizing spray cleaners on frequently touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer when you go to places like stores.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also issued an executive order requiring people to cover their faces and noses while inside closed public spaces.
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/.
