Michigan - Coronavirus COVID-19

[Yesiamapirate]

Get vaccinated, or else... There are already plenty of people who do not want the vaccine for a variety of reasons. I doubt that the "threat" of having to be vaccinated in order for Michigan to reopen will convince folks to get the shot/s if they aren't sold on it. I anticipate legal challenge/s to the Governor's latest "plan" to emerge from the pandemic and reopen Michigan.

On a positive note, DH and I went out to dinner on Wednesday night and were surprised by the number of people enjoying dinner out on a weekday at 5:30. There were many more cars in the parking lot than on our previous visits, and there were more diners in the restaurant than previously. I think this is an indication that many people are now fully vaccinated and feel more comfortable about going to restaurants. Masks are required when entering, leaving, or moving about the venue, and staff must wear masks at all times. Appropriate distancing is still prevalent in the various dining rooms, but patronage has definitely picked up in the last few weeks.

We have had the same experience regarding dining out. The last three weekends we have been to our favorite bar/restaurants in Ann Arbor, Canton, Plymouth and Northville. Some were just brew pubs and others were more restaurant like. All of them had good sized crowds. Pre pandemic in some cases! We like to sit up at the bar and only one had the barstools removed. I am not sure how the capacity limits were met in any of them but it was good to see businesses thrive! The bartenders in a couple places were very excited about their vaccinated status.
Folks do seem ready to get out.

 

[ilovewings]

Delete

 

[ilovewings]

B.1.617 strain spreads to Michigan with Clinton County case identified (freep.com)

Bad news: I posted this on the main Coronavirus thread but wanted to post here. This is the first case of the variant from India in Michigan. Biden is stopping travel from India May 4-- why wait?

 

[Yesiamapirate]

B.1.617 strain spreads to Michigan with Clinton County case identified (freep.com)

Bad news: I posted this on the main Coronavirus thread but wanted to post here. This is the first case of the variant from India in Michigan. Biden is stopping travel from India May 4-- why wait?

Good question!!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

B.1.617 strain spreads to Michigan with Clinton County case identified (freep.com)

Bad news: I posted this on the main Coronavirus thread but wanted to post here. This is the first case of the variant from India in Michigan. Biden is stopping travel from India May 4-- why wait?

Just when it seems that we might finally turning the corner on the pandemic, there's yet another strain of Covid headed our way. When will this end? Covid has become the "gift" that keeps on giving.

 

[margarita25]

April 30, 2021

Michigan confirms first case of another new COVID variant, this one from India

B.1.617 strain spreads to Michigan with Clinton County case identified

First case of India COVID-19 variant B.1.617 confirmed in Michigan

COVID-19 b1617 'double-mutant' India variant identified in Michigan

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

CDC reviews death of Michigan woman who got Johnson & Johnson vaccine -- everything you should know (clickondetroit.com)

No evidence of rare blood clot after woman’s death, officials say

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention is currently reviewing the death of a Michigan woman who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, though there is currently no evidence that her death and the vaccine are linked, officials said.

The Food and Drug Administration recommended pausing the use of the Johnson and & Johnson vaccine for a short time earlier this month as officials investigated a rare instance of blood clots forming in a few women who received the shot...

...The family of Annie VanGeest, 35, of Saranac in Ionia County, released a statement after her death that she died “as the result of complications after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.”

Health experts have not yet found any evidence that the vaccine was connected to her death...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

New order eases Michigan's mask requirements (detroitnews.com)

Lansing — Masks will generally not be required outdoors in Michigan and fully vaccinated people who are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms won't have to wear masks at indoor residential gatherings under a new order from the state Department of Health and Human Services.

The order, announced Tuesday night, takes effect Thursday and comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its guidance for outdoor mask-wearing. The new policy marks the most drastic change yet in Michigan benefiting fully vaccinated individuals.

"The commitment by Michiganders to receive the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is allowing us to move toward a return to normal," said Elizabeth Hertel, director of the state health department. "The vaccines work. That means once Michiganders are fully vaccinated, they do not have to abide by as many health guidelines because of the protection the vaccine provides from the spread of the virus."...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Here are 6 changes Michigan made to COVID rules for masks, gatherings, events, sports (clickondetroit.com)

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan has updated its COVID-19 rules for gatherings, mask wearing, certain events and organized sports.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday night that it has adjusted its epidemic order as COVID-19 cases across the state slowly start to decline.

These new rules will go into effect Thursday (May 6) and last through May 31, state officials said...

 

[MrX]

Here are 6 changes Michigan made to COVID rules for masks, gatherings, events, sports (clickondetroit.com)

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan has updated its COVID-19 rules for gatherings, mask wearing, certain events and organized sports.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday night that it has adjusted its epidemic order as COVID-19 cases across the state slowly start to decline.

These new rules will go into effect Thursday (May 6) and last through May 31, state officials said...

It's astounding that telling vaxed people they can gather in a residence, without masks, is somehow considered progress.

The comments, at the end of that article, say it all. Every day I see more evidence that Covid essentially ended, in the U.S., when Fauci said that vaccinated people had to keep living like it's 2020. That seems to be the point when our current situation became Status Quo. People that have been living normal lives, will keep doing so, vaxed, or not, while people who are fully vaxed, yet drive alone in a car with a mask on, are fine with endless restrictions. As long as people in a restricted locale have relatively easy access to an "open" State (people in Illinois, bordering Indiana, for example,) there is no pressure to remove restrictions.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

New facemask rules go into effect in Michigan -- What you need to know (clickondetroit.com)

Order goes into effect May 6 through May 31

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) adjusted its epidemic order as COVID-19 cases across the state slowly start to decline.

The state is easing some of the requirements -- especially for those who are outside and vaccinated. The new COVID-19 Gatherings and Face Masks epidemic order will go into effect Thursday.

The new rules impact everyone, particularly high school athletes. If a high school athlete has been vaccinated and isn’t symptomatic, they no longer have to be tested every week, which will change a lot of things.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is optimistic about the trend in Michigan’s COVID numbers as the daily case count continues to fall...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Michigan: 54% have at least one COVID vaccine dose, including residents outside state (clickondetroit.com)

State adds nearly 227,000 residents to overall count

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan said late Friday that 54% of adults ages 16 and up have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot, a roughly 2.5 percentage point jump after factoring in people who were vaccinated outside the state or at federal facilities.

The addition of nearly 227,000 residents to the state's count put Michigan close to a 55% benchmark Gov. Gretchen says is needed to allow in-person work in all sectors, including offices. The reopening step will occur two weeks after the milestone is reached...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Some UM instructors want mandatory vaccinations for students in in-person classes (detroitnews.com)

Hundreds of University of Michigan instructors are circulating a petition in hopes of convincing the administration to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for students who will attend classes in-person on the Ann Arbor campus in the fall or allow instructors to opt-out of in-person teaching.

The two-page document says that the instructors "are concerned about the safety of the University and Ann Arbor community from COVID infection in Fall 2021."

"All of us are eager to return to the classroom provided it is safe," the petition says...

 

[MrX]

Some UM instructors want mandatory vaccinations for students in in-person classes (detroitnews.com)

Hundreds of University of Michigan instructors are circulating a petition in hopes of convincing the administration to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for students who will attend classes in-person on the Ann Arbor campus in the fall or allow instructors to opt-out of in-person teaching.

The two-page document says that the instructors "are concerned about the safety of the University and Ann Arbor community from COVID infection in Fall 2021."

"All of us are eager to return to the classroom provided it is safe," the petition says...

Interesting to see how that plays out. I encounter quite a few fully vaccinated people who, for various reasons, remain in hiding. Seems like even if everyone is vaxed, they'll find another excuse to keep normalcy from returning to campus.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Michigan universities pull together fall vaccine policies (clickondetroit.com)

LANSING, Mich. – Three of Michigan’s 15 public universities have announced COVID-19 vaccine mandates, while others are evaluating plans or implementing other strategies to increase immunizations among students.

The University of Michigan’s Dearborn campus will require everyone on campus to provide proof of vaccination or weekly negative tests. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Oakland University both will require vaccines for students who want to live on campus.

But hundreds of UofM instructors on the Ann Arbor campus have signed a petition that seeks a campus-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate and calls the school’s current vaccine plan “nonsensical.”...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Wayne State community pushes for vaccine mandate for those returning to campus in fall (detroitnews.com)

Another university community is lobbying for a vaccine mandate for those returning to campus in fall.

More than 700 Wayne State University professors, staff and students have petitioned the administration to require a coronavirus vaccine for students, faculty and staff to avoid outbreaks and promote safety.

"It would signal to all that Wayne State is a science-driven institution where Warriors recognize that vaccination is our civic duty," the petition says...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Michigan reaches first of state’s vaccine milestones -- in-person work can resume in 2 weeks (clickondetroit.com)

55% of Michiganders have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, state says

Michigan has reached the first of the state’s vaccination milestones, meaning in-person work will be allowed to resume in two weeks, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced.

As of Monday, 55% of Michiganders have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Whitmer said. That’s the first of four vaccine-based reopening thresholds the state established late last month...

Michigan hits first vaccine threshold for restriction plan (detroitnews.com)

Lansing — Michigan hit the first trigger for easing COVID-19 restrictions under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's vaccination plan on Monday afternoon, according to state and federal data.

Michigan had 4.45 million residents with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, equaling just above 55% of the population age 16 and up, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state's tracking page confirmed the federal data at about 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Under Whitmer's "Vacc to Normal" plan, which ties easing restrictions to vaccination rates, the administration is supposed to allow in-person work for all business sectors to resume two weeks after 4.44 million residents, or 55% of the adult population age 16 and up, have received their first dose. The restriction is set to ease May 24, according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard...

 

[MrX]

Michigan reaches first of state’s vaccine milestones -- in-person work can resume in 2 weeks (clickondetroit.com)

55% of Michiganders have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, state says

Michigan has reached the first of the state’s vaccination milestones, meaning in-person work will be allowed to resume in two weeks, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced.

As of Monday, 55% of Michiganders have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Whitmer said. That’s the first of four vaccine-based reopening thresholds the state established late last month...

Michigan hits first vaccine threshold for restriction plan (detroitnews.com)

Lansing — Michigan hit the first trigger for easing COVID-19 restrictions under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's vaccination plan on Monday afternoon, according to state and federal data.

Michigan had 4.45 million residents with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, equaling just above 55% of the population age 16 and up, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state's tracking page confirmed the federal data at about 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Under Whitmer's "Vacc to Normal" plan, which ties easing restrictions to vaccination rates, the administration is supposed to allow in-person work for all business sectors to resume two weeks after 4.44 million residents, or 55% of the adult population age 16 and up, have received their first dose. The restriction is set to ease May 24, according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard...

Interesting to see how fast, or if, the next targets are hit. People on Whitmer's twitter feed are totally divided.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Michigan’s mask mandate still in effect, despite new CDC guidelines (clickondetroit.com)

Michigan, 24 other states have mask mandates in place

The CDC issued new guidelines on Thursday, essentially dropping its recommendations for mask use in most indoor and outdoor settings, if you’re fully vaccinated.

But guidelines are just that -- guidelines. Michigan, like 24 other states, still has a mask mandate in effect.

As it stands, in Michigan, residents are required to wear masks at all indoor non-residential or public gatherings, outdoor events with less than 100 people, youth camps and sporting events, restaurants and more...

 

[MrX]

Michigan’s mask mandate still in effect, despite new CDC guidelines (clickondetroit.com)

Michigan, 24 other states have mask mandates in place

The CDC issued new guidelines on Thursday, essentially dropping its recommendations for mask use in most indoor and outdoor settings, if you’re fully vaccinated.

But guidelines are just that -- guidelines. Michigan, like 24 other states, still has a mask mandate in effect.

As it stands, in Michigan, residents are required to wear masks at all indoor non-residential or public gatherings, outdoor events with less than 100 people, youth camps and sporting events, restaurants and more...

It's fascinating how both sides have such a fluid definition of "science." When CDC suggested masks, Whitmer mandated them. When CDC says they aren't necessary, Whitmer keeps them in place. I was surprised to see that even Oregon pulled the plug, yesterday.

I suspect this will put store workers in a more difficult spot, when fully vaxed people now refuse to wear masks and get belligerent.