Coronavirus

For the first time since the earliest days of the pandemic, Michigan reported no COVID-19 deaths on a single day on Sunday.

Since mid-March, not a day has gone by in Michigan without at least one death attributed to COVID-19. 

But the official state tally of coronavirus cases on Sunday contained no new deaths.

Since March, state health officials have confirmed 5,972 deaths linked to COVID-19.

The owners of nearly 150 locally-owed bars and restaurants in Michigan have signed on to a promise to meet or exceed all health recommendations during the pandemic.

The owners organized the promise after videos spread online showing some businesses ignoring the recommendations, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered indoor bars in much of lower Michigan to once again shut down.

Thursday, Michigan reported its highest single daily COVID-19 case number since May.

State health officials reported 543 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday. It’s a big jump in daily numbers over recent weeks. It’s the biggest single day increase since May 29.

There has been rising concerns about potential COVID-19 hot spots around the state.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is shutting down indoor bar service in lower Michigan to slow the spread of coronavirus.

But for some bar owners, it could be “last call.”

The governor signed the executive order Wednesday to combat a rise in COVID-19 cases.  

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature’s Republican leaders say they’ve reached a deal to bridge a $2.2 billion budget deficit in the current fiscal year. The revenue loss is due to the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.             

The deal bridges most of the shortfall with only three months left in the current fiscal year. It calls for a freeze on new hiring and staff promotions. The state will also pull $350 million from its Budget Stabilization Fund. This would be the first time in six years the state’s raided the fund informally dubbed the “rainy day” savings account.

This week, a minor league baseball league is scheduled to begin play in West Michigan.

A dozen workers spent the weekend prepping the ballpark for Wednesday’s season opener between the Kalamazoo Growlers and Kalamazoo Mac Daddies.

For the first time since the March, the Pere Marquette train will resume its run between Chicago and Grand Rapids Monday.

Amtrak has been operating in Michigan at lower capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari says ridership on the passenger rail service is running about 10% of the average for this time of year.

Michigan election officials are encouraging voters to cast absentee ballots to reduce their potential exposure to COVID-19. 

But flooding last month has complicated those efforts in Midland County.  

The May 19 flood damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. More than 10,000 people were forced to evacuate. Some Midland county residents are still living in campers, tents or with friends and relatives.

County clerks say they need help providing the personal protective equipment and sanitizers to poll workers for the August and November elections.

In order to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus, election officials are hoping to convince more Michiganders to vote absentee. Clerks started mailing absentee ballots to voters this week for the August 4 primary election.

The Ingham County jail is dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19.

Eight inmates at the Ingham County jail have tested positive for COVID-19. The inmates were tested after a civilian kitchen employee left work early last Friday and later tested positive for the virus. All the infected inmates worked in the jail's kitchen.

Two University of Michigan student-athletes and one at Michigan State University have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent tests.

Between them, U-M and MSU have tested more than 300 student-athletes as the Big Ten schools prepare to return to athletic competition.

Two other MSU athletes previously tested positive for COVID-19.

U-M Athletic Director Warde Manuel says the testing is part of the Ann Arbor university’s plan to restart its athletic program.

Michigan’s unemployment rate remains high, but it’s getting better.

The state’s May unemployment rate was 21.8%.  That’s down 2.8 percentage points from the previous month. Construction, transportation and utilities sectors saw job increases last month.

The Owosso barber who challenged Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Stay at Home order has gotten his state license back.

More marches and rallies are scheduled for this weekend to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.

And that concerns local public health officials who fear large gatherings may spread the virus that causes COVID-19.

Denise Fair is Detroit’s Chief Public Health Officer. She says she doesn’t want to discourage people from speaking out.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is scheduled to testify about Michigan’s response to the COVID-19 crisis before a congressional committee Tuesday.

A subcommitte of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce is scheduled to hear from Whitmer, along with the governors of Colorado and Arkansas. 

An Owosso barber hopes the Michigan Supreme Court will get involved in his case Monday so he can stay open.

Last week, A Shiawassee County Circuit Court judge ordered Karl Manke to close and lock his barbershop.

The U.S. Justice Department is throwing its support behind businesses suing the state of Michigan over the governor’s executive orders to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Along with signing her stay at home order, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has issued dozens of other executive orders. The orders shut down businesses across the state.   

An administrative judge has upheld the state’s decision to suspend the license of an Owosso barber who has openly violated Michigan’s ‘Stay at Home’ order.

More than a thousand residents of Muskegon Heights and Flint lined up for free COVID-19 testing over the Memorial Day weekend.

The Michigan National Guard teamed up with local health departments to set up the special drive-thru testing centers over the three day weekend.

Across Michigan Monday, Memorial Day observances are different from past years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, the sound of taps mixed with birdsong during a Memorial Day ceremony.

Normally, thousands of people come to honor the nation’s fallen servicemen and women in Holly.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is extending Michigan’s Safer at Home order until June 12. She’s also extending the state of emergency declaration until June 19.

The governor made the announcement as part of a late afternoon flurry of announcements on Friday related to the COVID-19 pandemic and flooding orders.

A study from the Othering and Belonging Institute at the University of California Berkeley ranks Michigan as its fourth most racially disparate states when it comes to COVID-19 deaths. Michigan ranks sixth in racial disparities in COVID-19 infection rates.

The study shows an interactive heat tracking map of racial disparities from state to state. The map looks at the racial makeup of the population, and then how that population is represented in the rates of COVID infection and deaths. For example, in Michigan, U.S. Census data shows black people make up 14% of the state's population, but account for 32% of COVID cases and 41% of COVID related deaths.

The city of Detroit is ramping up COVID-19 testing, with a focus on testing ‘at-risk’ seniors. Since May 1, 84% of Detroiters who've died from the disease have been over the age of 60.

Because of that, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says the city wants more senior citizens tested for the coronavirus.

The legal battle by a Michigan barber against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-19 orders escalated Wednesday.

State regulators suspended Karl Manke’s professional license and pulled his barbershop license on Wednesday. 

Revenues are down sharply at Detroit’s casinos, due largely to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Detroit’s three casinos shut their doors March 16th as part of the state's efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

A longtime leader in Michigan’s business community is predicting it'll take a while for Michigan’s economy to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Doug Rothwell is the president of Business Leaders for Michigan and a former head of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. 

On a webinar produced by the Detroit Regional Chamber, Rothwell predicted Michigan’s economy will not have a quick 'V-shaped’ recovery.

The United States Marshals Service, in conjunction with the Michigan State Police, is offering a reward up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of two men who are suspects in the shooting death of a security guard in Flint on May 1. The U.S. Marshals are working with the MSP to locate the suspects.

Michigan health officials say they have 3,500 volunteers trained to do COVID-19 contact tracing, one of the things considered essential to reopening the economy safely. And although those state officials can’t say how many paid staffers Michigan counties have doing this work, Michigan Radio’s analysis of three of the hardest-hit counties indicates the pool of volunteers is likely enough to meet epidemiologists’ recommendations.

The state of Michigan is modifying rules for how hospitals and funeral homes handle human remains in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the past, the state just required hospitals and funeral homes make a “reasonable effort” to contact family members before turning to the local medical examiner to decide what to do with the remains.

Tuesday’s election is going to be unique in Michigan history.

As part of the effort to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, there will be no polling locations open for in-person voting on Election Day.

Instead, the May 5 election will be mainly handled with “mail-in” voting.