(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.
9:25 p.m.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Tuesday extensions for Executive Orders 2020-48 and 2020-49.
Order 2020-48 relaxes the requirements of the Open Meetings Act, allowing the public to have meetings remotely while facilitating public participation. Order 2020-49 calls for the relax of regulatory requirements on hospitals and care facilities in order to ensure that hospitals have the people and facilities they need to provide care to COVID-19 patients, a release states.
“By extending these Executive Orders, we can ensure our hospitals and health care centers have the capacity needed to serve the health care needs of all Michiganders, while protecting the health of our local officials and residents by allowing public meetings to be held electronically,” Whitmer said. “These order help give our front line health care workers the support they need to do their jobs safely, and help local officials safely conduct the people’s business during this unprecedented crisis.”
8:47 p.m.
Michigan will receive $89 million in federal funding that will help K-12 and colleges continue providing educational services during the coronavirus outbreak, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office announced Tuesday.
The fund is to alleviate some of the negative effects the coronavirus has had on the state's school system.
“It’s never been more important to ensure every Michigan student has access to a high-quality education, and this funding will help our continued efforts to provide remote and other critical educational services to all students in every corner of our state during the ongoing pandemic,” Whitmer said. “In the weeks ahead, I will identify strategies that ensure this federal funding provides much-needed support to our schools hit hardest during this unprecedented crisis.”
6:41 p.m.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is halting funding to the World Health Organization, pending a review, alleging that the World Health Organization covered up information about the spread of the coronavirus.
The United States is the largest contributor to the WHO, which was formed in 1948 by the United Nations. The United Nations has long been a target of Trump’s.
Trump claimed that the WHO was critical of his decision to “ban” travel from China to the United States in late January. The United States merely restricted travel from non-US citizens in China. US citizens were still permitted to travel to and from China, but those returning to the US from the hard-hit Hubei region were required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
According to the WHO, the United States provides 14.67% of funding to the organization.
The WHO defended China for its handling of the coronavirus. More here.
5:44 p.m.
The surge of COVID-19 in Southeast Michigan hospitals is having a chilling effect on the health systems’ non-coronavirus services, leading to furloughs for some hospitals' staff.
Jeff Morawski, president of Local 40 OPEIU, the union representing medical personnel at McLaren Health’s Macomb Hospital, says more than a dozen employees could be furloughed by Thursday.
“Some nurses that work in departments such as our operating room, because of the decrease in surgeries and elective surgeries, the hospital deemed that they’re not needed so they are going to furlough approximately 15 to 18, or 20 nurses,” Morawski said. More here.
4:28 p.m.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday it is expanding testing criteria for coronavirus to include people with mild symptoms.
The state also released a COVID-19 test site finder to help people find testing near them.
“Expanded testing is needed to learn more about how COVID-19 is spreading in our state,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “We want to make sure people know that if they have symptoms, they should work with their medical provider to be tested.”
Michigan’s testing priority criteria now includes:
- Hospitalized patients.
- Symptomatic healthcare workers.
- Patients in congregate facilities with symptoms, including those at:
- Long-term care or elderly living facilities.
- Jails or prisons.
- Homeless shelters.
- Residential foster care facilities.
- Other group living setting.
- Patients age 65 and older with symptoms.
- Patients with underlying conditions with symptoms.
- First responders with symptoms.
- Critical infrastructure workers with symptoms.
- Individuals with mild symptoms.
4:10 p.m.
Detroit Metro Airport is getting more than $140 million in federal CARES Act grants, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced today.
In total, the Federal Aviation Administration funding will support airports who are experiencing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and will be sent to airports to prevent, prepare for and respond to the impact of the crisis.
2:58 p.m.
There are now 1,768 deaths and 27,001 cases of coronavirus confirmed in Michigan, according to new numbers released by the state on Tuesday.
That's up 166 deaths and 1,366 cases from Monday, when there were 1,602 deaths and 25,635 cases reported.
12:19 p.m.
Oakland County will begin drive-thru COVID-19 testing for first responders, essential business employees and Pontiac residents who display symptoms. Click here.
12:17 p.m.
Walt Disney parks haven't operated since March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, 43,000 employees will be furloughed starting April 19. Click here.
11:23 a.m.
Amazon plans to hire an additional 75,000 workers to help meet the increased demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Click here.
11:16 a.m.
11:16 a.m.
Oakland County is requiring all employees providing essential services to wear face masks on the job, per an order issued Monday. Click here.
Oakland County is requiring all employees providing essential services to wear face masks on the job, per an order issued Monday. Click here.
10:04 a.m.
10:04 a.m.
9:39 a.m.
The birthing and pediatrics team at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit raised thousands of dollars to help support their coworkers fighting COVID-19. Click here.
9 a.m.
Beaten down by the coronavirus outbreak, the world economy in 2020 will suffer its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the International Monetary Fund says. Click here.
8:50 a.m.
A new website aims to make sure Michiganders get their federal stimulus checks as soon as possible. Click here.
6:44 a.m.
In an effort to give back to those on the frontlines fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, AAA-The Auto Club Group is now offering free AAA Roadside Assistance to all health care workers and first responders in the metro Detroit. Click here.
6:32 a.m.
Some gyms are facing backlash for billing during the COVID-19 shutdown, leaving many gym members are asking why they still have to pay their membership dues, even though their gym is closed. Click here.
6:06 a.m.
Rutgers University researchers have received U.S. government clearance for the first saliva test to help diagnose COVID-19, a new approach that could help expand testing options and reduce risks of infection for health care workers. Click here.
4:56 a.m.
Mayor Mike Duggan will announce Tuesday night, a plan to offset millions in lost revenue due to the outbreak. He’s said that plan will affect the city’s 9,000 employees. Click here.
Mayor Mike Duggan will announce Tuesday night, a plan to offset millions in lost revenue due to the outbreak. He’s said that plan will affect the city’s 9,000 employees. Click here.
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.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.