UPDATE: COVID-19 cases grow in Warren
Leaders irked county won’t give number of cases by city
As the number of people with confirmed CODIV-19 cases in Macomb County approaches 1,000, the county’s “heat map” shows three local communities have the most coronavirus cases in Macomb.
The map’s evolution comes as the number of total cases in Macomb County hit 889 as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Macomb County Health Department. A total of 42 county residents have died.
The health department’s epidemiologic analysis of the cases shows the highest concentration of the novel coronavirus is moving north and west of Eastpointe, into Roseville and southeast Warren.
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts on Tuesday said he has taken numerous steps to try to shield his residents from the highly contagious virus, but added everyone needs to assume personal responsibility by keeping a safe distance from each other in order to fight the pandemic.
“At this point, I haven’t had an inordinate number of phone calls from people who have the virus in Warren,” the mayor said. “We are trying to do everything humanly possible to eliminate our city from becoming a hot spot.”
No numbers have been released by the health department to supplement the map, which uses colors to demonstrate the level of concentrations of infections, with white being the heaviest and purple being the lowest.
The map shows cases by community within the county. It has been added to the county’s dashboard that tracks deaths, confirmed cases, and hospital admittance in the county.
It shows most of Eastpointe, the southern half of Roseville and southeast Warren being shaded white. County officials say they expect many of the local communities to be included in the infected portion.
Elected leaders in those three cities have expressed frustration that they have not been directly notified of the heat map, which is part of the county’s epidemiologic study.
“We have not been given any statistics or evidence from any
one to confirm or deny the map they have provided to the public,” Roseville Mayor Robert Taylor said in an email.
Eastpointe Mayor Monique Owens previously told The Macomb Daily she also couldn’t comment because the health department would not release the numbers to show why Eastpointe scored so high.
Meanwhile, officials at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren say they are “confident” in their preparedness efforts and protocols, which are continuously evolving based on expert advice.
“Preparing for an influx of patients is something we do all year-long, but with increased focus prior to cold and flu season. We have stood up a virtual command center and are meeting throughout the day on a daily basis,” Melissa Thrasher, Ascension Michigan spokesperson, said in a statement.
Thrasher said as the number of COVID-19 cases coming into the hospital increases, a number of nonurgent procedures and medical visits have been postponed. That’s done in order to protect patients, preserve staff, personal protective equipment and patient care supplies, she added.
Warren’s mayor said he has sent a letter to residents of the city’s senior living facilities, Stillwell Manor and Joe Coach Manor, with a series of orders and guidelines after receiving a letter that reported residents there were not practicing social distancing as recommended by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Those include not congregating in the lounge; no visitors allowed unless essential for medicine or food; all social activities have been cancelled; and the use of masks, gloves and wipes to ensure extra safety. He asked residents to properly dispose of the items, as the city has had complaints about the gloves and masks being dumped in commercial parking lots.
Like other communities, Warren has closed many of its facilities, including City Hall, recreation buildings and parks except for jogging or walking.
As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, there are 134 reports of new infections, bringing the county’s total so far to 889. Sixteen more people died from complications associated with CODIV-19 for a total of 42 the health department’s website shows. There are currently 336 people hospitalized with the virus.
“And we know it’s going to get higher in a short amount of time,” Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said in a video update.
John Paul Rea, a deputy county executive, added: “It’s going to be alarming every single day when we see (the numbers), but the most important thing is we’re going to get the information out there not only using our community dashboard, but also to any support services.”
Hackel said the heat map provides useful information for first responders to they know if they are in an area where the disease is widespread and take appropriate precautions.
“It’s only going to get worse in certain areas,” Hackel said.
According to a message embedded in the map, the image includes the patients’ community of residence and is not meant to indicate the risk of contracting the disease by location.
Michigan has been one of the hardest hit states and Detroit and surrounding communities are at the epicenter. On Tuesday, state health officials confirmed 7,615 coronavirus cases and 259 deaths.
On Monday, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive, said Michigan is “likely” several weeks away from the peak number of COVID-19 cases. She added as the virus spreads and hospitals reach capacity, the state will need to utilize alternative and nontraditional sites of care.
The number of cases has steadily risen since the first two were reported March 10, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announcing a state of emergency that night. The first death was reported March 18.
Patients with confirmed infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:
• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best prevention for COVID-19 is to:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Put distance between yourself and other people ((at least six feet) if COVID-19 is spreading in your community.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
There have been more than 177,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., including at least 3,400 deaths, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, around 839,000 cases have been confirmed in 180 countries and regions. Of that number, around 176,000 people have recovered while more than 41,000 people have died.
Here are some recent steps that have been taken at the state level to help slow the spread of COVID-19, protect public health, and assist residents and business owners:
• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer temporarily restricted discretionary spending by state departments and agencies while they work to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan. She also temporarily suspended hiring, creating new positions, filling vacant positions, transfers, and promotions within the executive branch of state government.
• Attorney General Dana Nessel has taken legal action against Ann Arborbased A.M. Cleaning and Supplies in price-gouging investigation.
• Whitmer signed two supplemental budget bills totaling $150 million as part of the state’s response to combating COVID-19.
• The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have partnered to allow restaurants to sell food and pantry items, which currently can be sold only by grocery and retail stores.
• An agreement signed with U.S. Department of Labor to implement Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Compensation programs that grant benefits to workers who do not already qualify for state unemployment benefits. Workers include self-employed, 1099-independent contractors, gig, and low-wage workers who can no longer work because of the pandemic. The agreement also increases weekly benefits for all unemployed workers by $600 a week for up to four months and extends benefit payments from 26 to 39 weeks.
• Scope of practice laws were relaxed to give hospitals and other healthcare facilities access to additional qualified physician assistants, nurses and other health care providers who can help to combat COVID-19.
For most people, the COVID-19 virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.