Michigan Senate pushes Whitmer to ease up lockdown

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TUESDAY, April 28 — The Michigan Senate is urging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to allow more residents to return to work and to enable elective procedures to continue at hospitals statewide. 

Masked senators gathered this morning to vote on two non-binding recommendations for the governor, according to reports in The Detroit News. One resolution seeks to expand the number of workers who qualify as essential; The other looks to allow hospitals to do elective surgeries. 

Under Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order, hospitals and surgery centers are unable to perform nonessential procedures. As a result, thousands of employees have been laid off at medical systems across the state, including voluntary furloughs in Greater Lansing. 

And while Whitmer has outlined plans to gradually reopen the economy starting soon, the Senate resolution urges Whitmer to immediately adopt federal guidance that could allow additional employees — like some construction and outdoor workers — to return to their jobs. 

At a press conference yesterday, Whitmer rolled out preliminary details to slowly re-engage segments of Michigan’s economy. And while nothing is changing just yet, she indicated that builders are expected to be among the first to get back to work as the COVID-19 curve flattens. 

MIRS News reports that Whitmer plans to issue an executive order on Friday that would allow at least some construction projects to resume on May 7.

Whitmer has also requested the Legislature extend Michigan’s state of emergency, which expires Thursday, for at least another 28 days when lawmakers meet in Lansing tomorrow. 

In Lansing… 

The Lansing City Council voted last night to extend a local state of emergency through May 15 to coincide with Whitmer’s order. Similarly, the city of East Lansing announced yesterday that its offices will remain closed to the public through at least May 15 with plans to reopen on May 18. 

At last night’s City Council meeting, Chief Strategy Officer Shelbi Frayer also outlined a series of “scary” budget projections that indicated Lansing could need to trim $1-5 million in expenses to keep the budget balanced and avoid draining the city’s entire $6.8 million in remaining reserves. 

And that could include layoffs as the city looks to tighten its financial belt. Read more here. 

Mayor Andy Schor also noted last night that construction on McLaren Greater Lansing’s newest hospital near U.S. 127 has been halted. He said complaints had been filed about contractors working through Whitmer’s lockdown order; Hospital officials have agreed to pause the project. 

The City Council also accepted $1,000 in gift cards for local restaurants from the Eyde family for first responders at the city’s Police and Fire departments. The Eyde family has also made donations at local hospitals, reports the Lansing State Journal. 

The East Lansing City Council will meet virtually at 9 a.m. Thursday. A virtual meeting of the East Lansing Downtown Development Authority is also scheduled for 4:30 p.m. that afternoon. 

East Lansing has also adjusted its yard waste and bulk item curbside collection. A second round of no-fee yard waste and bulk item collection will begin next week. Click here for more details. 

The Rite Aid drugstore at 715 South Main St. in Eaton Rapids has expanded its COVID-19 testing criteria to include all adults exhibiting flu-like symptoms. It offers self-swab testing by appointment every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More testing sites are also available across Greater Lansing. 

Across Michigan… 

The Facebook page for a protest against the proposed extended state of emergency was deleted by Facebook for defying the government’s guidance on social distancing, MLive reports. It’s unclear if any demonstrations are still being planned, but some type of protest is expected. 

Whitmer wasn’t wearing a mask at her news conference yesterday despite an order that requires one to be worn in indoor public spaces. A spokeswoman for her office said that the Romney Building was not a public space like a grocery store and her mask was left off so “viewers and media could hear and see” her as she talked, reports the Detroit Free Press. 

The Michigan Department of Treasury announced today that Michiganders with delinquent student loans won’t face debt collection until at least Sept. 30. The state has also stopped loan-related wage garnishments and will not penalize missed payments through that date. 

Meanwhile, colleges and universities are bleeding revenue amid the pandemic, reports MLive. 

State officials are also actively working to ensure that children in foster care return to permanent homes as quickly and safely as possible, officials announced earlier today. More than 200 children could be returned home to one or both parents within the next month, if not sooner. 

A Detroit Free Press investigation found that the coronavirus is the suspected cause of death for at least 16 people who worked in hospitals, nursing homes, group homes and health insurance. 

Average gas prices, at $1.42 per gallon, are at their lowest since 2002, the Free Press reports. 

And in the numbers… 

At least 18 more cases of COVID-19 were tracked across Greater Lansing so far today, but no new virus-related deaths were reported in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties from yesterday. The regional death toll stands at 25 with 660 confirmed coronavirus cases reported to date. 

Michigan tracked another 1,052 confirmed coronavirus cases earlier this afternoon with 162 more virus-related deaths, edging up the case count past 39,000 with nearly 3,600 deaths. 

Here are the latest statistics for Greater Lansing, Michigan and the country:               

Ingham County                         

Cases — 429 (+11) 

Recoveries — 132             

Recovery Rate — 30.8%          

Deaths — 10    

Fatality Rate — 2.3%                

At least 91-100 cases are in southwest Lansing in zip code 48911. Much of the rest of south Lansing, Mason, East Lansing, Meridian and Bath townships each tally 41-50 cases in zip codes 48910, 48823 and 48854. Zip codes 48864, 48842 and 48906 each track 21-30 cases. Zip codes 48912 and 48915 each track 11-20 cases. Zip codes 48840, 48895, 48917, 48285, 48819, 48827, 48892, 48909, 48933, 49251, 49264 and 49285 each track 10 cases or less.     

Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail is tracking a recent COVID-19 outbreak detected at Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch in Ionia County where many Ingham County refugees work. She said the facility supplies eggs and poultry to restaurants and fast food chains across the Midwest.   

Eaton County                         

Cases — 120 (+4) 

Recoveries — 76             

Recovery Rate — 63%           

Deaths — 6                  

Fatality Rate — 5%              

Clinton County                         

Cases — 115 (+3)          

Deaths — 9    

Fatality Rate — 7.8%                         

The Mid-Michigan County Health Department does not report recovery statistics.              

Michigan                         

Cases — 39,262 (+1,052) 

Recoveries — 8,342 (as of 4/23/20)           

Recovery Rate — 21.2%         

Deaths — 3,567 (+160) 

Fatality Rate — 9.1%           

State reports show about 73% of cases (and about 82% of deaths) are from Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties, including Detroit. Other hotspots include Genesee County with 3.9% of cases, Kent County with 3.3% of cases, Washtenaw County with 2.6% of cases, Saginaw County with 1.6% of cases and Ingham County with 1.1% of cases reported statewide. At least 2.7% of cases, or 1,074 cases (and 38 deaths) have also been reported among state prisoners.  

Caucasians account for 32% of cases and 45% of deaths statewide. Despite accounting for a smaller segment of the population, African Americans account for 32% of cases and 41% of deaths in Michigan. Those of an unknown race accounted for 22% of cases and 9% of deaths.            

U.S.                       

Cases — 1,004,908 

Deaths — 57,812

Fatality Rate — 5.8%          

Source: CNN                  

As of this afternoon, Michigan has reported the seventh most cases in the country, behind New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Michigan also ranks third in most virus-related deaths, behind only New York and New Jersey.