(WXYZ) — All of the updates on the coronavirus and the incredible impact it's having on our lives can be hard to keep up with. To help you keep up, we'll post this daily blog on our homepage. You can find all of our stories on our coronavirus page.
2:50 p.m.
There are now 5,372 deaths and 56,014 cases of coronavirus reported in Michigan, according to new numbers released by the state on Thursday.
That's up 38 deaths and 406 cases from Wednesday. The new numbers include 17 deaths identified during a vital records review, which means 21 deaths were reported on Wednesday.
33,168 have recovered from the virus, the state said. Those numbers are updated every Saturday. Recovery numbers include people who are still living 30 days out from the onset of their illness.
9:56 a.m.
Michigan Secretary of State branch offices will reopen on Monday, June 1 by appointment only, the state announced on Thursday.
The offices will be able to conduct essential transactions only that are not available online.
“While the offices were closed to the public we conducted more than 3,000 emergency appointments for essential workers and planned and implemented protocols so that we could reopen in a way that ensures the safety of employees and all Michiganders,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “Customers can be confident they’ll be able to conduct their business with us safely and efficiently.”
Beginning the week of June 1, all 131 offices will be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for appointment-only services.
9:21 a.m.
Dan Gilbert's Bedrock Detroit announced on Thursday plans for rent relief to small businesses as they begin to open their doors.
The "Bedrock Relaunch" program will waive rent in June as a grace period, and then continue to waive rent through the end of the year in exchange for those restaurants and businesses to pay 7% of their gross sales.
8:32 a.m.
For the 10th straight week, weekly initial claims for unemployment have totaled in the millions.
On Thursday, the Department of Labor reported that 2.1 million people filed initial claims for unemployment for the week ending May 23. In the last 10 weeks, 40 million Americans have filed claims for unemployment.
Thursday's report marked the eighth straight week in declining unemployment figures, but unemployment claims remain historically high. Prior to the pandemic, the record high for weekly unemployment claims came in 2006, when 665,000 people filed for unemployment. The Department of Labor has been tracking the statistics since 1967.
8 a.m.
CVS Health plans to open 10 new COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites in Metro Detroit on May 29.
Sixteen sites will open throughout Michigan.
The new sites will utilize self-swab tests and plan to serve communities with the greatest need for support.
Patients must register in advance through the CVS website to schedule an appointment. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window, where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions. A team member will observe the process to ensure it is done properly.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Read our daily Coronavirus Live Blog for the latest updates and news on coronavirus.
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
Find out how you can help metro Detroit restaurants struggling during the pandemic.
See all of our Helping Each Other stories.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.