Biden issues mask, quarantine order for travelers coming to the U.S.
January 21st, 20210 WASHINGTON D.C. — In an executive order issued by President Biden, masks and quarantines will be required for travelers coming to the United States. In the order, Biden is requiring masks be worn in airports, on airplanes, buses and other forms of transportation and people who arrive into the U.S. from other countries are required...
Beaumont opening two new vaccine clinics; expanding COVID-19 call center
January 20th, 20210 DEARBORN — Starting Jan. 20, Beaumont Dearborn and Beaumont Troy will open additional COVID-19 vaccine clinics at their facilities. Beaumont has already administered approximately 32,000 vaccines and is prepared to administer as many as 50,000 per week if it receive enough vaccines from the state. “We have the expertise and...
21 shipments of the COVID vaccine compromised due to temperature issues
January 19th, 20210 LANSING — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced that 21 shipments of the Moderna vaccine were compromised in transit to the state. The shipments were being transported by McKesson Corp., a healthcare distribution company contracted with the federal government to handle coronavirus vaccine, and...
COVID-19 variant found in Michigan
January 16th, 20210 LANSING — The first case of new a highly contagious COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.7. has been identified in a woman living in Washtenaw County by the state health authority on Saturday. The woman recently traveled to the U.K., where this variant originated, according to the MDHHS. Close contacts of this individual have been identified...
Dearborn Council members continue their COVID-19 forum to discuss small businesses
January 16th, 20210 DEARBORN — Hosted by City Council President Susan Dabaja, the bi-weekly COVID-19 forum discussed the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses. She was joined by City Councilman David Bazzy, Wayne County Economic Development Director Khalil Rahal and Dearborn Economic Development Director Jeff Watson. Watson said that the pandemic...
Local school leaders address Whitmer’s encouragement to reopen schools
January 14th, 20210 DEARBORN/DEARBORN HEIGHTS — With Governor Whitmer recently encouraging schools to reopen by March 1, local school leaders are revamping their plans to present to school boards. Dearborn Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko said that he is hoping there will be a study session next week to revisit the original timeline from when the board...
Whitmer announces possible reopening plan for restaurants by Feb. 1
January 13th, 20210 LANSING — During a COVID-19 press conference, Governor Whitmer confirmed the hopes to have indoor dining reopened by Feb. 1. “Michigan has been a national leader in fighting COVID-19,” she said. “We have developed a strategy to accelerate vaccinations in the state of Michigan.” Whitmer said that Michigan had to be a...
Feds release millions of vaccine doses to Michigan, other states
January 12th, 20210 LANSING - Millions of previously held-up doses of the new COVID-19 vaccine have been released to Michigan and other states. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that they will grant a request from Governor Whitmer and eight other governors and release the millions of doses of the safe,...
Wayne County seniors can get COVID vaccines at area hospitals
January 11th, 20210 WAYNE COUNTY - Wayne County residents aged 65 and older can now get COVID-19 vaccines at local hospitals, county officials said on Monday. The plan is part of an overall move by the state to accelerate vaccine distribution beyond health care workers by adding people over 65 and some essential workers like teachers, as more of the...
50 percent of vaccines held back by Trump administration for unknown reason
January 7th, 20210 LANSING — Governor Whitmer has joined several other state governors to call on the federal government to release millions of COVID-19 vaccines held back by the Trump administration for unknown reasons. Whitmer joined Gavin Newsom (CA), Laura Kelly (KS), J.B. Pritzker (IL), Tim Walz (MN), Andrew Cuomo (NY), Tony Evers (WI) and Jay...
Michigan to begin vaccinating people over age 65, preK-12 teachers, essential workers
January 6th, 20210 LANSING — Governor Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) officials announced that the state is moving to a new phase of vaccination on Monday, Jan. 11. The MDHHS is moving forward with vaccination of Michiganders age 65 and older and some frontline essential workers, including preK-12 teachers and...
CDC updates report on new COVID strain
January 5th, 20210 WASHINGTON DC — The mutated strain of COVID-19 that was previously only in the United Kingdom has now been found in four states throughout the U.S. With the new strain, health experts say that the rapid spread of the virus could threaten the healthcare system as this strain is reportedly more contagious. The new strain has...
4,700 frontliners to get second COVID vaccine dose at Henry Ford
January 5th, 20210 DETROIT — Priority vaccinations for healthcare workers continue this week, with thousands of frontline healthcare workers at Henry Ford Health System branches receiving their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccines in the coming days. Henry Ford prioritizes vaccinations based on employees' role and risk for exposure as well as their...
State distributes 3.5 million free masks, cases surpass 500,000
January 4th, 20210 MICHIGAN — As the state surpassed 500,000 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, Michigan’s health department is distributing 3.5 million free masks as part of its Mask Up, Mask Right campaign. Free KN95 masks provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will be distributed by community organizations,...
TSA announces new pandemic travel record
December 28th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite CDC recommendations and COVID-19 cases still on the rise, nearly 1.3 million people traveled through airports on Sunday. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it screened 1,284,599 people across the country on Sunday, many of whom were returning from holiday travel. On Dec. 23, TSA......
CVS to begin distributing COVID-19 vaccines to long-term care facilities
December 28th, 20200 LANSING - With over 37,000 healthcare workers in Michigan already receiving the vaccine, CVS Health will begin administering the vaccine to long-term care facilities. The distribution of the first vaccines is expected to begin Dec. 28 to nearly 1,000 long-term care facilities across the state. The vaccines will be administered at...
Canada reports more contagious variant of COVID-19
December 28th, 20200 TORONTO — Officials in Toronto have confirmed the first two cases of a more contagious variant of COVID-19 that was first identified in the United Kingdom in September. The new strain has been detected in Australia, Italy and the Netherlands as well. Toronto’s associate chief medical officer said that the cases are a couple......
Study seeks to understand Arab American health during COVID-19
December 24th, 20200 DEARBORN — A new research project seeks to better understand how social and behavioral aspects of everyday life affect the health and wellness of those aged 65 and older in Metro Detroit. A special component of this research, led by University of Michigan professor Dr. Kristine Ajrouch, will study the social components of health...Over 37,000 healthcare workers immunized against COVID in Michigan
December 23rd, 20200 LANSING — More than 37,000 frontline healthcare workers have now received a COVID-19 vaccination shot in the state, the state’s health department announced on Wednesday. The immunizations of healthcare workers is a common strategy across the U.S., as the first doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, and later Moderna's...
Public health advisor talks vaccine myths and fact
December 19th, 20200 DEARBORN — The state of Michigan began immunizations against the COVID-19 virus on Monday, as quantities of the new Pfizer vaccine began reaching sites across the country this week. By Wednesday night, 1,078 vaccines had been administered to Michigan’s health care workers who are at high risk of contraction due to their routine...
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell hosts virtual town hall to discuss COVID relief, vaccines
December 19th, 20200 DEARBORN – U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) hosted a virtual town hall this week with health experts from Beaumont and Washtenaw County to discuss COVID-19. “I can’t wait to get back to the things we used to work on instead of COVID 24 hours a day, but it matters,” Dingell said. “Public health really matters. First and......
FDA advisory panel overwhelmingly endorses Moderna’s vaccine
December 17th, 20200 Another COVID-19 vaccine appears ready in the pipeline, as an outside panel of advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) overwhelmingly endorsed Moderna’s vaccine on Thursday. The committee of outside experts makes recommendations to the FDA, which it did for Pfizer’s vaccine just last week. The FDA generally goes...
MI COVID Alert app hits nearly half a million downloads in its first month
December 17th, 20200 LANSING — Just one month after the statewide launch, the MI COVID Alert app has reached nearly 500,000 downloads. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB) announced that there have been 461,192 downloads of the app. “So much about......
State officials provide vaccine facts and warn of scams
December 16th, 20200 LANSING — In a press conference on Tuesday, state officials provided facts about the COVID-19 vaccine and warned of new scams that have already started. With the Pfizer vaccine starting to be administered to healthcare workers throughout the state and the Moderna vaccine expected to be coming soon as well, Michigan Department of...
FDA announces approval for over the counter COVID-19 tests
December 15th, 20200 WASHINGTON D.C. — A rapid, at-home COVID-19 test that can be purchased over the counter without a prescription will be available on store shelves soon. Regulators authorized the test, which can be done entirely at home. “The test will be sold in places like drugstores,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said, “where a patient......
