Michigan had at least 400 new cases of novel coronavirus for the eighth consecutive day on Tuesday, July 21 – adding on 573 new cases to bring the confirmed case total to 74,725.
From a look at why the pandemic is prompting a tequila sales spike, plus six concerns public health officials fret about when preparing for a second wave of COVID-19, here’s the latest coronavirus happenings in Michigan.
COVID-19 positive tests creep to 4.2%
Every day from May 29 through July 12, less than 4% of the coronavirus tests done in Michigan came back positive. Since July 13, it’s surpassed 4% three times.
It hit 4.2% on Tuesday, per Michigan health statistics.
Nine new deaths were announced, but four came from earlier in the week, identified through a vital records search. Michigan has lost 6,135 residents to the virus since the pandemic began.
Every county has had at least one confirmed case of COVID-19.
6 concerns experts have if a second wave hits Michigan
MLive surveyed local and regional health departments spanning 35 counties to ask about any concerns leaders have, in the event another surge of COVID-19 hits Michigan.
There were six main themes, including the turnaround time to get test results, a more complicated web of contact tracing with the reopened economy and the prospect of health department burnout.
Where are masks required, again?
Michigan’s mask mandate has new teeth, with businesses threatened with license suspensions and customers threatened with $500 fines.
So where are masks required when people are out in public? Not everywhere, in fact.
Employee lies about COVID-19 to get day off work
A bit like a school student pulling the fire alarm to get out of class, a busboy at a northern Michigan restaurant had a friend call his employer posing as the employee’s dad, saying he couldn’t come to work because he had COVID-19.
The restaurant shut down for two days and had all employees tested before learning about the fabrication.
California pushes high school football season to winter
The Michigan High School Athletic Association plans to proceed with fall sports as usual, it announced last week, but not every state is following suit.
California schools are pushing the start of the high school football season to December or January because of the pandemic and will host its championships in April.
The 2020 mask debate has similar themes to a 1980s dispute
They infringe on your freedom. They take away civil liberties. They’re not fail proof in every circumstance, they’re uncomfortable and they didn’t burst onto the scene with much popularity.
The same arguments being made against wearing a mask in 2020 were the arguments made in the 1980s, but with seat belts, current and former legislators point out.
While public opinion eventually turned in favor of seat belts, a majority opposed them in the early 1980s, per a University of Michigan study. And some of the vitriol thrown at seat belt supporters at the time is to akin to the insults of today – with comparisons to Nazis and Adolf Hitler.
Ann Arbor urges Michigan to bring back eviction moratorium
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer replaced her eviction freeze earlier this month with an eviction diversion program, but Ann Arbor city officials say that’s not enough.
The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to urge Whitmer to reconsider, to avoid kicking thousands of Michiganders out to the curb.
Contact tracing is a challenge, as some are reluctant to answer the phone
A key to limiting the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan has been contact tracing – which involves calling people with the virus to track symptoms and make sure they’re staying isolated as well as calling any close contacts to tell them to get tested.
But nearly one-third of respondents in a new U of M study said they’re uncomfortable participating in contact tracing.
Contact tracers in Michigan confirm the dilemma. Some people never call back, some people hang up on them and some refuse to share who they’ve been in contact with.
The big seller during quarantine? Booze.
While many retailers across the state have struggled through the pandemic, alcohol sales have surged.
More free time, a stimulus check and a decline in daily responsibilities are likely contributors, retailers say.
While alcohol sales are up across the board, there’s a mysterious spike for one spirit – tequila.
Some retailers are concerned what will happen once the $600 per week federal unemployment boost ends at the end of the month, like Jeff Oppermann, the 25-year-owner of Oppermann’s Cork’n’Ale in Saginaw Township, where sales have jumped about 40% in recent months.
“Because we really haven’t felt the impact of the unemployment because of the unemployment checks,” Oppermann said. “With that being said, the great part of our industry is people drink when they’re happy and drink when they’re sad.”
Walmart won’t open this Thanksgiving
The holiday season is still five months away, but Walmart is already announcing some changes.
The store won’t open on Thanksgiving, diverting from what’s become a Black Friday weekend tradition in recent years. Walmart wants to allow employees to have the holiday to spend with family amid the pandemic, per Business Insider.
No changes were announced for Black Friday itself, which warrants new concerns in the age of COVID-19 and social distancing.
COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.
Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.
Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces.
Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
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