The COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed in the U.S. state of Michigan on March 10, 2020. As of September 26, 2020, 121,427 cases have been confirmed, causing 6,723 deaths. As of September 25, 95,051 people in the state have recovered from COVID-19. The state legislature approved $125 million to aid in relief efforts on March 17.The state legislature allocated an additional $150 million for medical supplies and personal protective equipment for hospitals on March 30.
On March 24, a statewide stay-at-home order was issued, limiting all non-essential travel and discontinuing all non-essential business services and operations It was originally set to expire on April 13, but was extended until April 30 with several new social distancing restrictions.The order was later extended to May 15, with some restrictions lifted and others added, such as mandatory face-covering usage in public buildings and businesses. Several of the restrictions on businesses and medical facilities were lifted in late May.
Since the start of August, 1,379 total cases have been linked to colleges and universities across the state. Large outbreaks of over 100 people infected are occurring at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Grand Valley State University in Allendale, andAdrian College in Adrian, with smaller outbreaks at several other schools.
On June 30, Governor Whitmer released the state’s “Return to School Roadmap” containing three proposed plans for re-opening K-12 schools for the upcoming 2020–21 school year.On August 18, Michigan State University moved all classes for the fall 2020 semester to virtual learning. On August 19, it was announced the state’s public schools, especially low-income school districts, are receiving a combined $65 million for virtual learning technology. August 24, Eastern Michigan University postponed its date for students to move onto campus from August 27 to September 17. It began its fall semester online on August 31, but will transition the small number of classes that were scheduled to be in-person to a near fully online schedule through September 20.
On March 10, Attorney General Dana Nessel set up a hotline to report businesses price goods such as toilet paper, meat, milk, bread, bottled water, face masks, hand sanitizers, and cleaning supplies. Sellers face fines if their asking price is at least 20% higher than it was on March 9, after an executive order from Governor Whitmer banned the practice, until April 16. The order includes a clause that exempts retailers if they “can prove the increase is attributable to an increase in cost of bringing the product to market or an extraordinary discount was in effect as of March 9”.
On March 20, Governor Whitmer signed an executive order banning landlords from filing eviction requests against tenants until April 17, which she says “relieves courts from certain statutory restrictions to enable them to stay eviction-related proceedings until after the COVID-19 emergency has passed”. Also on that date, Whitmer signed an executive order for medical and dental facilities to postpone any “non-essential” procedures, such as plastic surgery and teeth whitening, beginning March 20 through the time the State of Emergency is lifted. On March 21, Whitmer issued an executive order to close facilities that provide non-essential personal care services until April 13.
On March 17, the Michigan Legislature approved $125 million to fight the pandemic, with $50 million going towards the Department of Health and Human Services and another $40 million towards other state agencies for ongoing coronavirus response needs. Another $35 million was set in reserve in case more funding becomes necessary in the future. On March 18, Governor Whitmer asked the Michigan Army National Guard to “assist the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services with assembling and loading critical personal protective equipment, such as gloves, gowns, and face shields.
President Donald Trump approved Governor Whitmer’s disaster declaration on March 28. Michigan will get about $2 billion from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) signed into law on March 27. On August 5, it was announced small businesses in Michigan will receive a combined total of $5.7 million from the CARES Act.
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