Reports: State parks greenlight camping for June 22

THURSDAY, June 4 — Camping at Michigan’s state parks can resume on June 22 after the beginning of the season was delayed due to the pandemic, reports the Detroit Free Press.

The opening date also includes camping at state recreation areas and the reopening of state lodging facilities, shelters and sanitation stations. While many other restrictions were lifted this week, campgrounds needed the time to train staff and prepare facilities, reports the Free Press.

Some state campgrounds will have delayed openings. Dispersed camping already opened last Friday. Camping at Michigan state forest campgrounds starts June 10. Click here for details.

Across Michigan…

The Michigan Supreme Court denied permission today for the Republican-controlled House and Senate to argue their case challenging Whitmer’s emergency powers to the high court without first pleading their case to the Court of Appeals, according to reports in The Detroit News.

Both parties had requested permission to bypass the Court of Appeals but in a 4-3 decision today, justices ruled against the request citing the significance of the standard legal process.

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order today which continues to allow certain state administrative hearings to be held by video conference or phone in place of in-person hearings. The order will remain in effect through at least June 30 and is subject to yet another extension this month.

“Michigan has taken some big steps in the past week, but social distancing is still the best tool we have to fight COVID-19,” Whitmer said in a recent press release on the extended order.

The order also temporarily allows e-signatures in place of written signatures on official records.

The East Lansing City Council will continue to meet virtually through at least June 12. The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Planning Commission is also scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. on June 10. Click here to view meeting agendas.

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Job losses continue to mount in Michigan even as the economy is brought back online. According to reports in The Detroit News, the pace of layoffs has continued to ease with new claims dropping to 41,035 in the week ending May 30 — down from 65,574 the prior week.

More than 1.7 million Michigan residents have now filed for unemployment and in April, the state’s jobless rate topped 22% with more than 500,000 claims filed that month alone. Those figures are both likely all-time highs for Michigan, according to reports in the Detroit News.

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Earlier this week, Whitmer suggested that residents “Google how to do a haircut” while the state’s salons and barbershops remain closed. According to reports from MLive, Whitmer has since apologized after the comment apparently offended barbers and stylists across the state.

“I made an off-hand comment about if you needed a trim you could Google it,” Whitmer reportedly said during a radio interview today on the “Mojo in the Morning” show. "If my comment offended people, I do apologize for that. It certainly wasn’t my intent.”

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About 7 percent of Michigan educators are leaving the profession because of concerns over coronavirus and another 24 percent are considering walking out the door, according to a survey of more than 15,000 Michigan K-12 educators released today and reported by Bridge Magazine.

The survey, conducted May 15-22 by the Michigan Education Association, the state’s largest teacher union, revealed broad concern about reopening Michigan’s schools in September.

In the numbers…

At least 10 more coronavirus cases were tracked across Greater Lansing today, pushing up the regional case count to at least 1,089 with at least 44 deaths tracked locally since early March.

Ingham County tracked nine cases. Clinton County tallied one. No new deaths were reported.

Michigan tracked at least another 206 coronavirus cases statewide this afternoon with another 25 virus-related deaths, pushing the case count past 58,000 with nearly 5,600 reported dead. About two-thirds of cases, or 38,099 patients, have since tracked a full recovery from the virus.

Ingham County                     

Cases — 755 (+9)

Recovered Cases — 423

Recovery Rate — 56%

Deaths — 27 (No change)

Fatality Rate — 3.6%

As of yesterday, zip code 48911 tracks 221-230 cases. Zip code 48910 tracks 91-100 cases. Zip code 48823 tracks 71-80 cases. Zip code 48854 and 48906 tracks 51-60 cases. Zip code 48864 and 488912 tracks 41-50 cases. Zip code 48842 tracks 31-40 cases. Zip code 48915 tracks 21-30 cases. Zip codes 48917, 48840, and 48895 each track 11-20 cases. Zip codes 48285, 48819, 48827, 48892, 48933, 49251, 49264 and 49285 each track 10 cases or fewer.

Eaton County                 

Cases — 192 (No change)

Recovered Cases — 166

Recovery Rate — 86.4%

Deaths — 6 (No change)

Fatality Rate — 3.1%

Clinton County                                                                                                                   

Cases — 142 (+1)

Deaths — 11 (No change)

Fatality Rate — 7.7%

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

Michigan                        

Cases — 58,241(+206)

Recoveries — 38,099 (as of 5/29/20)                

Recovery Rate — 65.4%

Deaths — 5,595 (+25)

Fatality Rate — 9.6%

U.S.                  

Cases — 1,864,538

Deaths — 107,765

Fatality Rate — 5.8%

Source: CNN

Michigan still reports the ninth most cases in the country, behind New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas and Florida. Michigan ranks in sixth in virus-related deaths, behind New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Illinois.