These brief pandemic items supplement coverage today of a survivor's tale, TCF Center field hospital prep and the death of Rep. Isaac Robinson of Detroit.
State cases near 6,500
As the virulent virus of spring 2020 affects more people daily, Michigan’s patient total now is 6,498 and the number of reported deaths from COVID is 184.
Those statewide numbers Monday from the Department of Health and Human Services include 4,494 patients from the three-county Detroit area (69% of the total). The metro area has 110 deaths from the lung disease.
(Graphic: Michigan Department of Health and Social Services)
The statewide tally of cases is now 389% higher than the previous Monday.
That astonishing one-week jump reflects a dramatic increase in testing and hospital admissions during the past seven days, as well as the disease’s incubation time. Some newly counted patients were infected before widespread business shutdown and the governor’s stay-home order on Monday, March 23.
The latest 24-hour statewide update has 1,012 new cases and 52 added fatalities.
Confirmed cases are 18.5% higher than Sunday, a barely higher rate of increase compared to the previous day (18%). Daily increases were up to 28% late last week.
Here's how confirmed deaths break down locally:
-
Detroit: 35
-
Oakland: 34
-
Wayne: 21
-
Macomb: 20
Those 110 metro area fatalities are nearly four-fifths (59.7%) of the state total.
The state says 15,282 COVID tests have been performed, with 3,720 (24.3%) positive results confirming respiratory infection.
-- Alan Stamm
Whitmer steers $180 million more to fight
Gretchen Whitmer at Monday's press conference.
Continuing with her mantra that the worst is yet to come, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday announced a state hiring freeze and $180 million in additional state funds to fight COVID-19.
The governor, along with the chief medical officer Dr. Joneigh Khadun emphasized at a Lansing press conference that there's a shortage of healthcare workers and a need for qualified volunteers to come forward and help out. (Volunteer here)
Michigan has spent $80 million to begin securing 20 million masks, 2,000 ventilators, about 9 million ounces of hand sanitizers, 2,000 beds and other supplies, Whitmer said.
While cases will continue rising past the current level of about 5,500 and 132 deaths, she added, people should feel confident that self-isolation will show results.
Separately, Detroit's Health Department says it recorded 1,804 positive cases of COVID-19 and 50 deaths as of noon Monday, according to The Detroit News.
-- Allan Lengel
Elder care facilities affected
A troubling sign (yet another, yes) is reported by Bridge magazine: "Michigan’s nursing homes and senior living communities are losing ground in their uphill battle against COVID-19." The coverage mentions four suburban Detroit sites:
-
15 confirmed cases at Beaumont Commons in Farmington Hills
-
An undisclosed number at Advantage Living Center in Roseville
-
One affected resident at Heartland Health Center in Livonia
-
Two at All Seasons in West Bloomfield
Military scouts at the New Center gym this weekend. (Photo: Emily Schaefer/Army Corps of Engineers)
Beds, not basketballs
Military engineers checked out the Pistons Performance Center, a five-month-old training facility on Amsterdam Avenue in New Center, for possible backup patient care or temporary lodging for medical teams from nearby Detroit Medical Center and Henry Ford Hospital.
The NBA team offers its gym for use by city, state and federal emergency planners, according to a tweet from basketball beat writer James Edwards III of The Athletic Detroit.
Belle Isle green flag still waves
Presenting a portrait of procrastination:
"Countdown to green flag" says a digital clock marking the 59 days to a presumed auto race on Belle Isle. Detroit Grand Prix tickets remain on sale for the May 29-31 event, even though though the Detroit Regional Chamber last week bumped its annual Mackinac Policy Conference from that week to September.
"Order early for best selection," it still says.
June's auto show just was cancelled because TCF Center will house overflow hospital patients instead.
Yet race planners and sponsors continue as though drivers would come in two months and thousands of fans would congregate in grandstands and pits. "Detroit Grand Prix officials are continuing to work with local authorities while actively monitoring all information as it relates to the COVID-19 global pandemic," an undated statement says.
With mandated restrictions and guidelines affecting the schedule of many upcoming events, Grand Prix organizers are evaluating all options for the May 29-31 event weekend. . . . Officials will update the status of the event as the situation continues to evolve.
Um, really now? Monitoring info and evaluating options as the state counts about 5,500 virus patients and as the governor and federal experts warn of a potentially much higher impact, really? Time to drop a red flag, folks.
-- Alan Stamm
Free monthly Detroit bike-share pass
(Photo: MoGo)
MoGo, the nearly three-year-old bike sharing service that's an affiliate of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, has a timely promotion that's also a good deed.
Monthly passes are free now, and existing holders get free renewal. "These are challenging times for all of us," founder Lisa Nuszkowski says at its site. "Whether you are an essential employee who needs to get to work or are looking to add some physical activity to your day, MoGo is here to continue serving the needs of our community."
The no-cost pass is available via its Transit app and at its site. The 30-day access allows unlimited number of station-to-station trips up to 30 minutes. Longer use gets charged, letting MoGo can mix generosity with business. Win-win, right?
UM research aims at early warning
As researchers look for ways to detect early signs of coronavirus spreading, some suggest an offbeat tactic. Teams at the University of Michigan and Stanford University say people with COVID-19 shed the virus' genetic material through their waste and into a community's sewage system.
They're checkimng for novel coronavirus evidence in the wastewater of some California and Midwest communities to develop a tool that might signal a potential outbreak, according to The Detroit News.
