DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says the trend in the number of COVID-19 cases is still showing an improvement, and he calls it “inspiring.”
The Detroit numbers as of April 13 are 6811 positive cases and 391 deaths. The Mayor says there have been 67 deaths since Friday, and while that number was doubling every two to three days, it is now doubling every 10 to 12 days. Eight people died in Detroit nursing homes over the weekend.
The Mayor says the city is rapid testing homeless shelters and 26 nursing homes with 225 Detroit Firefighters and EMTs. In three nursing homes, 30% of the patients tested positive and in one other, 50% tested positive.
Another 50% of tests show seniors are positive with COVID-19 without showing any symptoms. The mayor says they are the most vulnerable. They are testing 240 patients and staff a day with a goal of 2,400 in ten days.
Detroit Pistons Owner Tom Gores is donating 100,000 masks to the city for police, fire, EMTs and residents. Gores also hinted that the Pistons will be making additional donations in the days ahead.
The Pistons offered their new practice facility as a field hospital, but the TCF Center was used instead. And while the TCF Center has 1,000 beds, Mayor Duggan says only about 250 may be needed at this time.
The mayor and Assistant Police Chief James White say there are still some instances of people gathering, but not as often. They are giving warnings and issuing $1,000 tickets. They have not closed city parks or imposed an overnight curfew.
The mayor says the City of Detroit will be $300 million in the red in this fiscal year and next. He says cuts will need to be made and he will outline his plan Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on Detroit City Cable channel 10.
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