News

  • April 9: Monroe County reports first COVID-19 death among 165 cases; Lenawee County at 39 cases, 0 deaths

    Monroe County’s coronavirus cases, according to www.michigan.gov’s coronavirus statistics, has climbed to 165 Thursday, April 9, from 152 Wednesday, and the virus has claimed the life of its first victim in Monroe area.

    Lenawee County is still, on the Lenawee Department of Health website, still reporting 0 deaths, with a three-case increase to 39. Of those 20 are male, 19 female, seven are hospitalized, 27 are monitoring their symptoms at home, and the number who have recovered has increased today to five.

    Hillsdale County has now reported six deaths — up two in 24 hours, and its cases rose from 62 Wednesday to 64 Thursdays.

    There is a trend developing at the state level, though, with new cases down from 1748 Tuesday to 1376 Wednesday and 1158 today. However, deaths have now broken the 1000-person mark with 1076 fatalities attributed to COVID-19, and 117 new deaths today. There were 118 new deaths Tuesday and 114 Wednesday.

    Detroit City confirmed cases rose from 5824 to 6061 with 275 total deaths today; Wayne County has 4032 confirmed cases and 229 total deaths; Oakland is at 4247 confirmed cases in the county with 246 deaths; and Macomb County has 2783 total cases with 165 total deaths.

    Washtenaw County has confirmed 637 cases and 15 deaths, an increase of two over the prior day. Jackson County is reporting 131 cases and four deaths.

    To the south, Ohio has 5512 total cases with 497 people admitted to ICUs, 1612 hospitalized and 213 deaths.

    Lucas County has 403 confirmed cases and 144 hospitalizations and 16 deaths. Fulton County, south of Lenawee County, remains at five cases with two hospitalizations.

    Gov. Gretchen Whitmer today extended her statewide “Stay-home, stay-safe” order to May 1, 2020. She limited travel, saying people cannot go to their second homes and limiting the people in a household who can run errands.

  • April 8, 2020: Lenawee County reports 36 coronavirus cases, no deaths

    Lenawee County’s coronavirus caseload increased to 36 from 32 Tuesday, but there are still no deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the county.

    Nineteen males and 17 females have tested positive for the virus. Of the 36, 26 are monitoring symptoms at home and seven are hospitalized with three recovered.

    In Michigan, the total has exceeded the 20,000 mark at 20346 cases confirmed with 969 total state deaths. However, the daily new confirmed cases was 1376, which is down from 1748 new cases Tuesday, and the daily deaths were down slightly to 114 today from 118 Tuesday.

    Detroit City’s case rate is nearing 6000 with 5824 confirmed cases, and 251 deaths. Oakland County follows with 4007 cases and 234 deaths, followed by Wayne County with 3802 cases and 195 deaths, and Macomb with 2626 cass and 141 deaths.

    Counties neighboring Lenawee include Washtenaw with 610 cases and 13 deaths; Monroe with 152 cases (up from 129 Tuesday) and zero deaths; and Hillsdale County which rose from 55 to 62 cases with four deaths.

  • April 7: Lenawee holding steady on COVID-19 cases

    Lenawee County showed no increases in coronavirus cases, holding at 32 confirmed cases of which seven people are hospitalized, 22 are monitoring symptoms at home, and three are recovered.

    Over in Hillsdale County, though, numbers were up sharply from 46 cases Monday to 55 Tuesday, and one more death for a total of four.

    Michigan overall is also experiencing a large increase going from 17,221 Monday confirmed cases to 18,970 Tuesday. Deaths rose to 845 statewide with 118 new deaths Tuesday. The number of new cases was also up after a weekend of declines. There were 1748 new cases confirmed across the state.

    Other neighboring areas showed 114 cases in Jackson County with four deaths; 559 cases in Washtenaw County with 11 deaths; and 129 total confirmed cases in Monroe County which still has zero deaths.

    The Detroit area showed a marked increase of cases in Detroit City with 5478 Detroiters having been confirmed with COVID-19, and 222 dying. Wayne County has 3569 confirmed cases and 180 deaths today; Oakland County has 3736 cases and 205 deaths; and Macomb County has 2414 cases and 121 deaths.

    But the COVID-19 story is far different just over the stateline to the south Ohio has a total of 4872 cases statewide — fewer than Detroit City alone which has 5478.i There have been 167 deaths, an increase of three from Monday to Tuesday. Hospitalizations in Ohio stand at 1354.

    In Lucas County, home of Toledo, there have been 347 cases, 104 hospitalizations and 16 deaths. It is third in Ohio for the number of deaths. Two other counties have 19 each. Fulton County, directly south of Lenawee County, remains at five cases and two hospitalizations. No one has died of the coronavirus at this point in Fulton County.

  • April 6: Lenawee County’s COVID-19 count at 32


    Lenawee County was reporting 32 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with seven hospitalized, 22 treating the illness at home and three recovered as of Monday, April 6, 2020. No deaths had been confirmed at that time that were caused by COVID-19.

    Monroe has 117 confirmed cases as of Monday. Washtenaw County had 539 cases with 10 deaths. Jackson had 103 cases and four deaths. Hillsdale had 46 cases and three deaths. As of Monday there were 30,030 tests in Michigan that had produced a negative result.

    Ohio’s Department of Health reported Monday there were 4,450 total cases in Ohio with 1,214 requiring hospitalization. There were 142 deaths in Ohio as of Monday. Fulton County had five cases with two requiring hospitalization and Lucas County had 321 cases with 84 hospitalized and 12 deaths.

    For the complete story, please see the Wednesday, April 8, 2020, edition of The Advance.

  • Alternate care facility site construction to begin in Novi

    News release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, 4-7-20

    DETROIT — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE), Detroit District, announces it will begin construction on an alternate care facility in Novi, Michigan as efforts to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-led response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic.

    The second conversion in Michigan will take place at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. USACE is coordinating design and construction efforts to adapt more than 250,000 square feet into medical care space. This conversion of the main floor will include approximately 1,100 bed spaces for COVID-19 patients and stations for medical personnel.

    “The situation in Michigan continues to evolve and the Corps of Engineers will surge resources to meet the anticipated need,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Turner, district engineer, USACE, Detroit District. “This work that we are doing through FEMA to support the people of Michigan, especially enabling the local hospitals, is a mission that we are ready for.”

    Site visits across Michigan to assess and determine the necessary steps to convert existing buildings into alternate care facilities will continue as the state directs. USACE, Detroit District, has performed 26 site visits to date across the state.

    Overall, USACE has received 25 FEMA Mission Assignments totaling approximately $1.5 billion, and USACE has more than 15,000 personnel engaged, across our enterprise, in our response effort who are providing support both on site and virtually. Of the USACE personnel engaged, more than 1,800 personnel are deployed.

    Through the unified national emergency response framework, USACE deploys hundreds of people to provide technical engineering expertise and promote capacity development at home and abroad. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provides management and technical services to include: management and oversight in design, engineering and construction; environmental restoration and management services; research and development assistance.

    USACE continues to coordinate at every level with both federal and non-federal stakeholders, including FEMA, Health and Human Services, State of Michigan, Michigan National Guard and many others. Public Safety is the Corps’ number one priority, according to the release.

  • April 5, 2020: 31 COVID-19 cases, 0 deaths in Lenawee County

    The COVID-19 case count in Lenawee County rose to 31 Sunday, April 5, 2020, from 27 the day previous. There are 16 males and 15 females among the confirmed cases, but at the time of the Lenawee County Health Department reporting – 11:15 a.m. Sunday – there were still no fatalities attributed to the coronavirus in Lenawee County.

    Seven of the 31 are hospitalized, according to the county health department, but 23 are monitoring at home, and one has recovered.

    In Michigan, Sunday, according to michigan.gov’s coronavirus pages, the state’s confirmed case count rose to 15,718 cases, an increase of 1493. But there is a trend in the increase over the weekend: this figure is lower than Saturday’s new-case count of 1511, and represents a marked drop from Friday’s confirmed case count of 1953. The reason for the decline was not stated and is just reported here statistically.

    Deaths increased in Michigan over the weekend to 617 with 77 new deaths. Saturday’s count was 61 deaths with 62 on Friday.

    The metro Detroit area’s coronavirus cases continued to climb with 4495 confirmed cases and 158 deaths in Detroit City, 3023 cases in Wayne County with 135 deaths; 3035 in Oakland County with 163 deaths; and 2003 confirmed cases in Macomb County and 83 deaths.

    Nearby, Hillsdale County now has 44 confirmed cases with three COVID-19 deaths; Monroe County has 108 cases and no deaths; and Washtenaw County has 518 confirmed cases and eight deaths.

    Ohio’s confirmed cases remain far behind those in Michigan at 4043 cases with 1104 hospitalizations and 119 statewide deaths, according to the state’s coronavirus website. The cases and deaths in Detroit City alone exceed the statewide numbers in Ohio.

    In Lucas County, which encompasses the Toledo, Ohio, metro area, there are 302 confirmed cases, 63 hospitalizations and eight deaths. Fulton County, directly south of Lenawee County, remains at five cases, two hospitalizations and no deaths attributed to the coronavirus. All statistics were taken from Ohio’s coronavirus website.


  • April 4: Lenawee cases stands at 27, no deaths

    The Lenawee County Health Department reported Saturday, April 4, that there were now 27 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but no confirmed COVID-19 deaths.

    There were 14 males and 13 females reflected in the 27, with seven hospitalized, 19 being monitored in their homes and one recovered, according to the Lenawee County Health Department website’s coronavirus site.

    Michigan statewide, saw an increase of 1511 new confirmed cases on Saturday, April 4, 2020, bringing the total to 14,225. However, the increase Friday, April 3, 2020, was 1953, 442 more than Saturday. There were 61 new deaths in the state, for a total of 540 in Michigan. There were 62 new deaths Friday.

    Near Lenawee County, neighboring Hillsdale County rose to 37 cases with two deaths of the Saturday official count. Washtenaw had 501 cases with eight deaths. Monroe County was reporting 101 cases, but no deaths. These statistics were found on michigan.gov’s coronavirus section of the website.

    Over the state line in the Toledo metropolitan area, Lucas County on the Ohio state coronavirus website reported 272 confirmed cases, 49 hospitalizations and seven deaths. To the west, Fulton had five cases with two hospitalizations and no deaths.

    Ohio, overall, is far behind Michigan with a total of 3739 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 326 in ICUs, 1006 hospitalized and 102 deaths, according to the Ohio coronavirus website.

  • April 3: Lenawee County holding at 24 coronavirus cases, 0 deaths

    A news release from the Lenawee County Commission Chairman David Stimpson said the death suspected of being the county’s first COVID-19 death has not been ruled as such.
    “On March 31, 2020, a 52-year-old Raisin Township man passed away. His primary health care physician ruled the death cardiac arrest and noted suspected COVID-19,” Stimpson wrote.
    However, he said the State of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is not qualifying this death as being a COVID-19 death “at this time” and “the state will later make the decision under their guidlines.”
    Lenawee actually saw no increase in coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, standing at 24 cases with zero deaths. The Lenawee County Health Department, as of 1:15 p.m. today, April 3, said there had been 24 positive tests covering 12 males and 12 females. There had been six hospitalizations, 17 people who were being monitored at home and one who had recovered. There have been zero confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the county.

    But at the state level, Michigan experienced its largest hike since the crisis began, with 1953 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, bringing the state total to 12,744 with the majority in the Detroit area. There were 62 new deaths reported in the state.

    Nearby, Hillsdale County has 26 cases, surpassing Lenawee County with two deaths, and Monroe County has 95 cases with zero deaths. Washtenaw County has 477 confirmed cases and eight deaths.

    Just over the state line, Lucas County has 233 confirmed cases with 38 hospitalizations and four deaths in the Toledo area. Fulton County, just south of this area over the Ohio line, is still had only three confirmed cases with zero deaths.

    The state of Ohio, however, did experience a 410-case increase today advancing from 2902 confirmed cases Thursday to 3312 today. Deaths rose from 81 COVID-19 deaths to 91 today.

  • Lenawee County COVID-19 count increases to 24 cases

    The state of Michigan coronavirus figures released at 3 p.m. today, April 2, 2020, showed 24 confirmed cases and no deaths in Lenawee County, which is an increase of two cases over the previous day.

    Lenawee County, however, reported one new case of COVID-19 in the health department’s daily update which came earlier than the state report. The total of confirmed positive cases stood at 23 at that time. In Lenawee, ninety-three people have had negative test results and 24 residents have test results pending.

    A Raisin Township resident may have died from the COVID-19 virus, Lenawee County board Chairman David Stimpson said in a news release Thursday. County officials are aware of the case. Stimpson said the attending physician, who is not a county employee, will certify the cause of death.

    The resident was not tested for COVID-19 prior to passing away, according to the release.

    “To my understanding the resident was not tested after death either, Stimpson said.

    The health department is working with other members of the household to mitigate exposure, Stimpson said.

    He encouraged residents who have symptoms of COVID-19 to contact their primary care physician, urgent care or health clinic for screening.

    Michigan’s cases rose today to 10,791 overall with 1457 new cases, 80 new deaths and 417 total deaths in the state.
    Ohio has 2902 total cases and 81 total deaths statewide. Lucas County (Toledo area) has 206 cases, 35 hospitalizations and three deaths. Fulton County, to the west of Lucas, has three cases, one hospitalization and no deaths. The hot spot in Ohio remains Cuyahoga County with 663 total cases confirmed, 166 hospitalizations and 12 deaths.

    Detroit area remains Michigan’s hot spot with 2858 confirmed cases in the city of Detroit and 101 deaths; 1332 cases in Macomb County and 58 deaths; 2183 confirmed cases in Oakland County and 119 deaths and Wayne County had 2211 confirmed cases with 93 deaths.

    Neighboring counties of Hillsdale has caught up with Lenawee with 24 cases and there is also a confirmed death there; and Washtenaw County reported 438 confirmed cases today with eight deaths. Monroe County has 79 cases and no deaths from the coronavirus.

    The average age of those who have died in Michigan from COVID-19 is 71.3 with a median age of 73. Ages of deaths have ranged from 20-107, according to michigan.gov’s coronavirus page.

  • Governor closes Michigan schools for rest of year

    News release from michigan.gov/coronavirus

    Executive Order sets guidelines for remote learning, ensures teachers, school employees will be paid for remainder of school year

    LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer today signed Executive Order 2020-35, which orders all K-12 school buildings to close for the remainder of the school year — unless restrictions are lifted — and ensures continuing of learning by setting guidelines for remote learning. District facilities may be used by public school employees and contractors for the purposes of facilitating learning at a distance while also practicing social distancing.

    “My number-one priority right now is protecting Michigan families from the spread of COVID-19. For the sake of our students, their families, and the more than 100,000 teachers and staff in our state, I have made the difficult decision to close our school facilities for the remainder of the school year,” Whitmer said. “As a parent, I understand the challenge closing schools creates for parents and guardians across the state, which is why we are setting guidelines for schools to continue remote learning and ensuring parents have resources to continue their children’s education from the safety of their homes. There is no video chat or homework packet that can replace the value of a highly trained, experienced teacher working with students in a classroom, but we must continue to provide equitable educational opportunities for students during this public health crisis.”

    The Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators and the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers are currently developing a Continuity of Learning Plan template application for schools to utilize in order to create their localized plan, the release reported. The application will be made available by April 3. District plans will need to detail how districts will provide opportunities for students to learn remotely and how schools will manage and monitor their progress. It will also provide information on how parents and guardians can learn more about the local plan. Each district must have its plan approved by their regional intermediate school district before being implemented. Public school academies must have their plans approved by their authorizer. Districts can also partner with one another to create joint plans.  

    Every district’s plan will be different and will reflect what’s best and feasible for their community, Whitmer said. A plan can include learning by any number of modes of instruction delivery, including a hybrid approach. However they are designed, districts must ensure their plans are appropriate, equitable and accessible for students and families.

    If the plan relies on some online instruction, the district should ensure every student who needs it has access to an appropriate device with an ability to connect to the internet. Students and families will not be penalized if they are unable to participate in their alternate learning plan.

    Schools should continue to provide mental health care services for students, to the extent possible, and should be ready and willing to help efforts to establish disaster relief childcare centers, according to the release. School districts will also continue to provide meals for families who need them during the COVID-19 crisis. If any schools have unused personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies or other materials, they are allowed and encouraged to donate them to organizations that could put them to use.

    School districts will have the flexibility to adopt a balanced calendar for the 2019-2020 school year and/or to begin the 2020-2021 school year before Labor Day without having to seek additional approval. Teachers and school employees will be paid for the remainder of the school year. Student teachers will still be able to get a temporary certification and current teachers will still be able to get their certifications renewed, even if they can’t meet all the requirements due to COVID-19.

    All Michigan high school seniors will be given the opportunity to graduate this year so that they may make a successful postsecondary transition, Whitmer said. Additionally, all standardized tests previously scheduled for the remainder of the school year, including the M-STEP and the SAT, will be canceled. There will be a date in October for rising high school seniors to take the SAT and for other high school students to take the PSAT.

    Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.