Whitmer: Masks mandated in Michigan through May

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SATURDAY, May 2 — Customers and employees must wear face coverings inside grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants until May 29 under an extended statewide executive order issued today.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's new order, like existing measures, requires all customers who can “medically tolerate” face coverings to wear them inside pharmacies and food-selling businesses.

The extension also requires checkout employees to wear some form of covering over their nose and mouth. Businesses must also continue to adopt various social distancing measures and allocate at least two hours per week of shopping time for vulnerable residents and the elderly.

“Michigan has begun flattening the curve, but we must not take our progress for granted and continue taking aggressive action to avoid further spread of this deadly disease,” Whitmer said.

The expanded pandemic control measure mirrors an existing state of emergency and other gubernatorial restrictions on bars, restaurants, casinos and theaters that remain in effect through May 28 and a sweeping stay-home order that is set to last through at least May 15.

Under the order, residents still cannot leave their homes except to run critical errands, engage in safe outdoor activities or go to specified essential employment. Whitmer has also announced plans to slowly re-engage the economy. Details are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

In other coronavirus-related news...

The Capital Area Transportation Authority is resuming some bus services on Monday. Any fixed route that typically provides Saturday service — like Route 1 — will operate according to the Saturday schedule throughout the week. Late-night service will remain temporarily unavailable.

Routes 6, 7, 11, 13, 15, 17, 46 and 48 do not have Saturday service and will therefore continue to be suspended. Officials also said all campus service, including Route 32, has ended for the summer. All CATA facilities will also remain closed. Visit cata.org for more details and updates.

Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon won’t pursue any criminal charges against a local barber who briefly gave haircuts during last week’s protests at the State Capitol. Read more.

The state of Michigan launched a mental health crisis text hotline yesterday. Residents can now have a confidential text conversation with a crisis counselor by texting RESTORE to 741741.

Whitmer also announced that Michigan has been federally approved to provide housing alternatives — like hotels — for homeless people that need to be quarantined or isolated from COVID-19, also including those who are at high-risk for severe illness from the coronavirus.

State officials will work with local partners to provide additional housing to homeless individuals who test positive and need to be isolated, have been exposed to COVID-19 and need to be quarantined or high-risk individuals that need shelter as a general precautionary measure.

And in the numbers…

At least 15 new cases of COVID-19 were tracked in Greater Lansing today, including at least a dozen cases in Ingham County and three cases in Eaton County. No new deaths were reported. The tri-county regional death toll stands at 29 with at least 751 COVID-19 cases tallied to date.

Michigan tracked 851 more confirmed coronavirus cases earlier this afternoon with another 154 virus-related deaths, edging up the number of cases past 43,000 with more than 4,900 deaths.

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

Ingham County                           

Cases — 497 (+12)   

Recoveries — 155               

Recovery Rate — 31.2%        

Deaths — 13    

Fatality Rate — 2.6%              

At least 121-130 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 41-60 cases in zip codes 48910, 48823 and 48854. Zip codes 48864, 48842 and 48906 each track 31-40 cases. Zip codes 48912 and 48915 each track 21-30 cases. Zip codes 48840, 48895, 48917, 48285, 48819, 48827, 48892, 48909, 48933, 49251, 49264 and 49285 each track 10 cases or less.       

Eaton County                           

Cases — 136 (+3)   

Recoveries — 92               

Recovery Rate — 67.7%             

Deaths — 6                    

Fatality Rate — 4.4%                

Clinton County                           

Cases — 118            

Deaths — 10     

Fatality Rate — 8.5%                        

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

Michigan                           

Cases — 43,207 (+851)   

Recoveries — 15,659 (as of 5/1/20)              

Recovery Rate — 36.2%           

Deaths — 4,020 (+154)    

Fatality Rate — 9.3%             

State reports show that at least 70% of cases (and 81% of deaths) are reported from Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties, including the city of Detroit. Other hotspots include Kent County with 3.9% of cases, Genesee County with 3.7% of cases, Washtenaw County with 2.5% of cases, Saginaw County with 1.6% of cases, Ingham County with 1.2% of cases and Kalamazoo County with 1% of cases statewide. At least 4.2% of cases, or 1,825 cases (and 42 deaths) have also been reported among state prisoners at the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Caucasians account for 34% of cases and 48% 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 21% of cases and 6% of deaths.               

U.S.                         

Cases — 1,121,415

Deaths — 65,645

Fatality Rate — 5.9%        

Source: CNN                    

As of this afternoon, Michigan still 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 the states of New York and New Jersey.