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Here's are fresh coronavirus developments involving Michigan:
►249 more patients: The Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday afternoon announced 249 additional cases of COVID-19, the breathing disease casued by coronavirus.
(Data: Department of Health and Human Services)
That pushes the cumulative state count to 1,035, including 325 in Detroit and 417 elsewhere in the three metro counties.
Among new cases listed Sunday by the state, 77 are in Detroit, 48 are in Oakland, 51 are in western Wayne County and 39 are in Macomb.
Rising patient counts reflect the fact that more Michiganians are being tested for the disease.
A Washtenaw Countyt death are reported Sunday night pushes the state total to nine. These four were reported Saturday:
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A Detroit woman in her 90s who succumbed Friday.
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A 90-year-old Oakland County woman with underlying health issues who died Saturday at Henry Ford Medical Center in Bloomfield Township.
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A 52-year-old man with underlying medical conditions died Saturday at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clintom Township. "This virus knows no boundaries," County Executive Mark Hackel said of his area's first fatality.
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Another Saturday victim, a man in his 70s, is reported by Spectrum Health, a Grand Rapids-based hospital network.
Statewide age breakdowns by eight categories are shown above.
► Auto parts makers enlist: General Motors component suppliers join the national emergency response by preparing to make parts for at least 200,000 ventilators, Crain's Detroit Business reports Sunday afternoon. A die castings firm in Minneapolis and Myotek, a lighting manufacturer with a plant in Manistee, Mich., reportedly will fabricate six ventilator compressor parts made of magnesium.
"We're off and running. The tool shops are designing tools right now," said Eric Showalter, CEO of Mytek. ... "We're all just trying to help where we can." ...
GM announced last Friday it partnered with Bothell, Wash.-based Ventec Life Systems to increase production of its ventilators. Ventec will leverage GM's logistics, purchasing and manufacturing prowess, the automaker said.
► No tattoos, massage, manicures: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order Saturday that closes all nonessential personal care services -- such as hair, nail, tanning, massage, spa, tattoo, body art and piercing services.
► 'Keep your receipt'
Call us at 1-877-765-8388 or file a complaint on-line at https://t.co/pIGU7zaJTX. Remember to keep your receipt or take a pic of any product priced at over 20% the normal price. #pricegougers beware!
— Dana Nessel (@dananessel) March 21, 2020
►Setback for ballot drives: Flattening the curve has a wide and deep impact that includes an untimely election year snag for efforts to put proposals on Nov. 3 ballots. "Face-to-face petition gathering for 2020 elections has ground to a halt," Allison Donahue writes for Michigan Advance.
This is a big problem for ballot question committees, which have to gather at least 425,059 valid signatures for constitutional amendments, 340,047 for state statutes and 212,529 for veto referendums. With such a high threshold, these unforeseen circumstances could mean some initiatives may have to fold. . . .
The Fair Tax Michigan campaign asked [legislative leaders] for legislation that will allow an online petition signature option for this year. The group wants to get a graduated income tax on the November ballot.
Four other pending proposals not yet qualifying for ballot lines are a "heartbeat" abortion ban, a dilation and evacuation abortion ban, a LGBTQ discrimination ban and a clampdown on lobbyists.
Arabic coronavirus fact sheet
►State info in 6 languages: Michiganians are a diverse bunch, so two-page official fact sheets about COVID-19 spread, prevention and symptoms come in six languages besides English:
► Wear a health message: Pandemic T-shirts include Everybody vs COVID-19 in Detroit entrepreneur Tommey Walker's iconic style, plus ones that say Wash Your Hands and carry the message at left.
Those latter two come in five color choices and are $21 each, plus $7 shipping, from Detroit photographer Collin McConnell's online shop.
