Michigan’s coronavirus dilemma: how to protect prisoners and public
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge) With 38,000 inmates jammed into 29 Michigan prisons and coronavirus spreading like wildfire in some of the facilities, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer floated an idea Monday: Why not release some vulnerable and non-violent prisoners to ease the crowding conditions that spread COVID-19? Advocates for prison reform argue that thousands of inmates could […]
Inside Michigan hospitals, a ‘crushingly hard’ week in coronavirus fight
by Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press; Robin Erb (Bridge) In the worst week yet in the coronavirus pandemic for southeastern Michigan, when the death toll climbed to 540 statewide and 14,225 were sickened by the virus, health care workers shared their stories of courage, fear and despair. They talked about the anguish of going […]
Michigan’s COVID-19 death toll is undercounted. So some want to test the dead.
by Robin Erb (Bridge) As the coronavirus death toll climbs in Michigan — 540 as of Saturday — another grim number will never be known: The dead who go uncounted as casualties of the worst pandemic in a century. “I don’t know if our fatalities would be twice as many or 10 times as high, […]
Coronavirus Q&A: Advice from employment lawyer Deborah Gordon
by Bridge Staff WORK ANSWERS Q: I work for an essential business staying open during this pandemic, but I am in a high-risk population for COVID-19. Am I allowed to leave my job and collect unemployment? Answered by Deborah Gordon, civil rights and employment attorney, Deborah Gordon Law: You may qualify under the expanded unemployment […]
At Michigan groceries, nerves are as thin as some shelves amid coronavirus
by Bob Campbell (Bridge) As Michiganders hunker down in the coronavirus crisis, the common grocery store has become society’s essential, albeit sometimes anxious, nexus. For many, it’s the sole remaining link to an outside world that has largely frozen in time since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a stay-at-home order that went into effect March 24. And […]
What Michigan’s coronavirus school closure means for you
by Ron French (Bridge) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday that Michigan’s public and private K-12 classrooms will be closed through the end of the school year due to the continuing dangers posed by the coronavirus. With the 2019-2020 school year officially ending, most students will be missing about 30 percent of the days they would […]
Michigan unemployment surges; record 1 in 10 workers have filed claims
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — More than 300,000 Michigan residents filed unemployment insurance claims last week, an unprecedented surge amid the coronavirus pandemic that has forced business closures, prompted mass layoffs and overwhelmed the state filing system. Both Michigan and the United States posted record jobless claims for the week ended Saturday, March 28, surpassing […]
Beaumont chief blasts Michigan for lack of hospital data during coronavirus
by Robin Erb (Bridge) John Fox, CEO of Beaumont Health, the state’s largest hospital system, lashed out Sunday at a lack of communication among hospitals and state health officials as Michigan struggles with a surge of patients during the coronavirus crisis. With COVID-19 cases and death counts rising steeply, particularly in metro Detroit, Fox cited […]
Trump grants some disaster aid to Michigan; state also gets N95 masks
by Robin Erb (Bridge) President Trump approved in part Michigan’s request for federal disaster aid after a week of finger pointing with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over who was, or wasn’t, doing enough as the state battles a surge in cases of the coronavirus. Whitmer separately announced Saturday that the state received 112,800 N95 masks from […]
Detroit hospital: We’re nowhere near ‘worst-case’ coronavirus decisions
by Robin Erb, Kelly House (Bridge) Henry Ford Health System officials on Friday offered assurances that their resources aren’t at capacity and have yet to consider “worst-case scenario” care decisions amid the coronavirus epidemic. The assurances followed the release Thursday of a single-page draft policy to patients and families that offered grim guidelines for providers […]
