Metro Detroit’s Latest COVID-19 Updates: April 24

A quick look at what’s happening locally
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Suburban Collection Showplace covid-19
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer visits the Suburban Collection Showplace, now open as the state’s second alternate care facility for COVID-19 patients, during its buildout. // Photograph courtesy of Gretchen Whitmer

The CDC is now reporting 865,585 COVID-19 cases and 48,916 deaths in the U.S. Following President Trump’s comments last night in which he pondered if sunlight, ultraviolet light, and household cleaning products may be able to be injected into the body to fight the coronavirus, companies such as Lysol, Dettol, and Clorox issued statements today warning consumers about the dangers of consuming or injecting their products. The New York Times says Trump told journalists today that he was being sarcastic when he posed the question, but confusion over household disinfectants has been widespread since the start of the pandemic. Earlier this week, the CDC reported that U.S. Poison Control Centers received 45,000 exposure calls within the first three months of the year, which is 20% more than the same time last year. As always, consumers should follow the instructions on each product label, and bleach and other disinfects are never suitable for consumption or injection. Here’s what’s happening in metro Detroit:

The state of Michigan is now reporting 1,350 new COVID-19 cases and 108 deaths. In total, the state has seen 36,641 cases and 3,085 deaths. [Michigan.gov]

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer today extended the Stay Home, Stay Safe order through May 15. As part of the new order, Michiganders will be required to wear homemade, non-medical grade face coverings when they’re in enclosed public spaces. Employers will also need to provide cloth face coverings to their employees. Because the state has seen a plateau in positive COVID-19 cases in the next week, the new order is also easing up on some previous restrictions. Landscapers, lawn-service companies, nurseries, garden centers in large retail shops, and bike repair shops may open but are required to follow strict social distancing rules. Retailers that do not sell necessary supplies must keep their space closed to the public but can reopen for curbside pick-up and delivery. The new order also permits motorized boating and golf — sans golf carts — so long as social distancing is observed. And while any travel is discouraged right now, individuals can now travel between their residences. “I want to be crystal clear: the overarching message today is still the same,” Whitmer says. “We must all do our part by staying home and staying safe as much as possible.” [Michigan.gov]

The 25,000-square-foot Suburban Collection Showplace Regional Care Center is now open as the state’s second alternate care facility for COVID-19 patients. The build of the facility was led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, and it features 250 beds, patient support services, a pharmacy, administrative space, and a command center. Between the new facility and Detroit’s TCF Regional Care Center, the state has now converted 600,000 square feet of convention centers into 1,220 medical care bed spaces in less than 25 days. [Michigan.gov]

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was joined by Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon during his press conference this afternoon. During the briefing, it was announced that Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program is committing $15 million for forgivable loans to small businesses and nonprofits in Detroit that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Applications are open now up on the website for the Community Reinvestment Fund — a nonprofit, non-bank lender — and loans will be distributed to applicants who haven’t been approved for loans by another bank and did not receive the Paycheck Protection Program under Congress’ CARES act. “Small businesses have perhaps never been at more risk,” Soloman said. “No one company, city, or state was able to overcome this challenge. Dealing with a crisis of this magnitude is the intersection of the public and private sectors that’s so critical. We at Goldman Sachs are trying to do our part.” [Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses]

The mayor’s press conference went on to address COVID-19 updates in the city. According to Duggan, 15,000 COVID-19 tests have been completed in the city. Based on that amount of testing, he said they’ve learned that there is a 40-50% chance that a person who exhibits symptoms has the coronavirus and a 10% chance that someone who does not show symptoms still has the coronavirus. “It’s spreading by people who appear to be perfectly healthy,” he said, backing Whitmer’s decision to require Michiganders to wear masks. The mayor also shared that local hospitals are continuing to report that the number of COVID-19 patients and ventilator use is down, and the field hospital at TCF Center only has 13 occupied beds. “I’m not sure how much longer it will need to be there,” Duggan said. The city’s nursing home survey is also complete. In total, 1,920 residents were tested in 10 days, and there was a 26% infection rate. The mayor says the data will allow the city to get the issue under control. The entire conference can be watched on the City of Detroit Government Facebook page. [Facebook: City of Detroit Government]

More than 700 small Oakland County businesses impacted by the coronavirus will receive a collective $2.3 million in grants, County Executive David Coulter announced today. The grants, awarded by the county’s small business stabilization fund, will help business owners with payroll, rent, mortgage, utilities, and more. The average grant ranged from $2,500 to about $5,360, and Haberman Fabrics, 9 Lives Tattoos, and Berkley Music were among the recipients. Funds were made possible from a $1.15 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and a matching grant from the Oakland County Board of Commissioners. Oakland County Executive David Coulter says he is asking the board to approve additional funding to help the county’s businesses. “We always believed this was the first phase of assistance,” he says. “We need to help them keep their doors open.” [Oakland County Stabilization Fund for Small Businesses]

According to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers — a rotating panel survey in which researchers conduct interviews by phone with households across the country throughout the month — consumer sentiment dropped 17.3 points in April. The drop is the largest one-month decline in about half a century, and researchers point to the 26 million unemployment claims filed in the last few weeks, uncertainty around the coronavirus, and a lack of job and income reliability as reasons for the sentiment. [Surveys of Consumers]

Life Leaders, Inc, a nonprofit leadership and career development program, is launching a new weekly series on its Instagram page in which Detroit youth and community leaders will discuss topics related to COVID-19. The series will kick off at 6 p.m. tonight with Stefanie Roberts Newman, chief nursing officer and vice president of Patient Care Services at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. The discussion will end with a Q&A segment. [Life Leaders, Inc]  

The Van Buren Township Senior Center is hosting a food bank for the city’s senior citizens on April 28. Seniors interested in picking up food can simply drive up to the Senior Center parking lot, located at 46435 Tyler Road, pop their trunk, and staff will drop in the food items. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and seniors will receive Ensure, fresh produce, frozen meals, and a white ribbon to display outside or in a window to show their support for healthcare workers. [Van Buren Township Senior Center]