MDHHS reduces max gathering for indoor weddings, parties to 50 people
October 29th, 20200 LANSING — Due to rising COVID-19 cases in the state, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Resources (MDHHS) has revised and extended its epidemic order. Now, the agency has reduced the maximum size of indoor gatherings such as weddings, parties and banquets, which occur in nonresidential settings without fixed seating, from...
Dearborn Public Schools approve reopening plan
October 27th, 20200 DEARBORN — After another school board meeting lasting longer than six hours, the Dearborn Board of education approved a reopening plan for the school district. Late Monday night the board authorized administrators to start a blended learning program for elementary students once COVID conditions in the community improve, which may...
Whitmer signs bills worker, business COVID-related bills, as state sees cases increase
October 22nd, 20200 LANSING — Governor Whitmer signed two bills on Thursday that protect workers from retaliation from businesses if they get sick from or are exposed to COVID-19, and protects businesses from COVID-19 related liability. A trio of Michigan House bills (House Bills 6030-6032) say employers are required to allow workers who are exposed...
MDHHS issues emergency order to allow indoor visitation at residential care facilities
October 22nd, 20200 LANSING — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has issued an emergency order that updates requirements for residential care facilities to allow for indoor visitation. Emergency order under MCL 3332253 expands and updates such requirements as a means of protecting the public and containing the spread of...
Governor Whitmer extends unemployment benefits for the rest of the year
October 21st, 20200 LANSING — Governor Whitmer signed Senate Bills 886 and 991, which expand unemployment benefits for all Michiganders. The bipartisan bills Whitmer signed will extend unemployment benefits for Michiganders who have lost work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic from 20 to 26 weeks until the end of the year. Both bills were sponsored...
Dearborn Public Schools suspend in-school learning labs
October 21st, 20200 DEARBORN — With COVID-19 cases rising again, the Dearborn Public School District’s Learning Lab Committee has decided to suspend in-school learning labs indefinitely. School nurses and administrators met Tuesday and decided to suspend the labs effective Oct. 21 until further notice after receiving concerning news from the Wayne...
Free COVID-19 testing in Lincoln Park this weekend
October 20th, 20200 LINCOLN PARK — The Wayne County Public Health Division, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, will host free drive-through COVID-19 testing Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lincoln Park Middle School on 2800 Lafayette Street in Lincoln Park. Tests will be administered by Michigan...
MCCFAD and Arab Xpressions present skit on the word ‘kharaf’ and stigmas around dementia
October 17th, 20200 DEARBORN — The Michigan Center for Contextual Factors in Alzheimer’s Disease has teamed up with Arab Xpressions at the University of Michigan (U of M) to bring a unique skit that explores how a medical word for dementia is often misused in the Arab community. The skit premiered Friday, Oct. 9 as part of a MCCFAD community event...
State of Michigan and MSU launch COVID-19 app
October 16th, 20200 LANSING — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) and Michigan State University (MSU), have partnered to launch a COVID-19 exposure notification app. The app will pilot on MSU’s campus and for the surrounding community as a next step to help...
U.S. pauses Eli Lilly trial of antibody drug Trump touted as COVID-19 ‘cure’ over safety concern
October 14th, 20200 (REUTERS) — Eli Lilly and Co. said on Tuesday that the government-sponsored clinical trial of its COVID-19 antibody treatment similar to one taken by President Trump has been paused by the U.S. government because of a safety concern. Trump touted the Lilly drug, along with the antibody treatment from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc....
Dearborn Board of Education extends virtual learning into November
October 14th, 20200 DEARBORN — On Monday Oct. 12, the Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education voted to extend virtual learning into November. The approved motion called for continuing and expanding in-school learning labs where up to three students at a time come in and meet with teachers under current conditions. Depending on local COVID...
Parents need support during these difficult times
October 11th, 20200 COVID-19 has impacted individuals and families around the world, forcing many working parents to now become virtual, homeschooling teachers. Parent support is crucial now more than ever, especially for those parents whose children may have an intellectual or developmental disability such as autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, epilepsy...
U.S. COVID-19 cases hit two-month high, 10 states report record increases
October 10th, 20200 (REUTERS) - New cases of COVID-19 in the United States hit a two-month high on Friday with over 58,000 infections of the new coronavirus reported and hospitalizations in the Midwest at record levels for a fifth day in a row, according to a Reuters analysis. Ten of the 50 states reported record one-day rises in cases on Friday, including...
Wayne County issues emergency order, amplifying COVID orders made prior to Supreme Court ruling
October 9th, 20200 DETROIT – Wayne County issued a new Emergency Public Health Order that clarifies and amplifies the COVID-19 orders issued by the state of Michigan. County Executive Warren C. Evans said the order carries forward the public health safety precautions implemented by Governor Whitmer in response to the coronavirus pandemic. A copy...
Dearborn Public Schools to decide if they will reopen for in-person learning
October 7th, 20200 DEARBORN — The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education will meet on Monday, Oct. 12 to decide if local COVID-19 conditions have improved enough to reopen schools. The administration is expected to make recommendations to the board regarding a plan to reopen schools safely and cautiously so students can begin to return to the......
MDHHS orders schools to notify public of COVID-19 cases; Dearborn schools experience outbreaks
October 7th, 20200 LANSING — Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Robert Gordon issued an emergency order requiring K-12 schools to provide public notice to the school community about probable and confirmed cases of COVID-19 within 24 hours. With this order, a reporting system was put in place at...
MI health department’s new order says gatherings still restricted, face masks required
October 5th, 20200 LANSING — Michigan main health authority has stepped into the ring, now that the state’s Supreme Court has deemed all of Governor Whitmer’s COVID-19 related executive orders since the April extension of the state of emergency unconstitutional. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Robert Gordon has......
Whitmer asks Supreme Court to clarify if ruling against her goes into effect immediately
October 5th, 20200 LANSING — Governor Whitmer’s administration is asking for clarification from the Michigan Supreme Court after it decided last Friday that her extensions of the state of emergency and subsequent executive orders concerning COVID-19 were unconstitutional. Whitmer said previously that legally her orders would stay in effect for at...
Free COVID-19 testing in Dearborn Heights on Oct 10-11
October 4th, 20200 DEARBORN HEIGHTS - The Wayne County Public Health Division and The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are continuing to host weekend drive-through COVID-19 testing. Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said that testing will continue for the rest of the year. “The Wayne County Public Division will continue to...
Abdul El-Sayed has a message about President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis
October 2nd, 20200 Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has a message about President Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis. Trump announced he and his wife Melania are positive for COVID-19 early Friday morning on Twitter. Donald Trump has the best healthcare in the world as he faces COVID-19. But we should remember this right now, he’s trying to take away health care entirely...
Whitmer extends state of emergency, issues several executive orders
September 29th, 20200 LANSING — Governor Whitmer is extending her state of emergency order for Michigan until October 27. Under the state of emergency, Whitmer will maintain executive decision-making powers as it relates to public health during the COVID-19 crisis. Whitmer also announced on Wednesday the extension of four executive orders: One allowing......
Michigan completes aerial treatment to combat mosquito-borne illness
September 24th, 20200 LANSING — A few weeks after state health authorities announced the first suspected cases of a mosquito-borne illness in a Barry County resident, along with dozens of animals, planned aerial treatments for several counties have now been completed. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced on Wednesday,...
Free COVID-19 weekend drive-through testing coming to Taylor
September 23rd, 20200 TAYLOR – The Wayne County Public Health Division, with support from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), continues its weekend drive-through testing, this time in the city of Taylor. The testing is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Taylor Sportsplex located......
U.S. surpasses grim milestone of 200,000 COVID-19 deaths
September 22nd, 20200 (REUTERS) — The death toll from the spread of the coronavirus in the United States exceeded 200,000 on Tuesday, by the far the highest number of any nation. The United States, on a weekly average, is now losing about 800 lives each day to the virus, according to a Reuters tally. That is down from a peak of 2,806 daily deaths...
Michigan health insurers agree to no out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 testing, treatment through 2020
September 18th, 20200 LANSING — Michigan has secured agreements from nearly all of the state’s health insurers to waive all out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 testing and treatments through the end of 2020, including copays, deductibles and coinsurance. These agreements cover more than 92 percent of the commercial health insurance market in......
