Michigan health officials are reporting 1,359 new cases of the coronavirus and 13 additional COVID-19 deaths.
Michigan has now had 139,061 total confirmed coronavirus cases and 6,941 COVID-19 deaths.
Tuesday the state was at 137,702 confirmed cases with 6,928 deaths.
The state is now providing weekly updates on the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19. These numbers will be updated every Saturday.
As of October 9, 104,271 are being reported as recovered in Michigan.
The state defines ‘recovered’ as the number of persons with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who are alive 30 days post-onset (or referral date if onset is not available).
Congressman Bill Huizenga says he has tested positive for COVID-19.
In a tweet, Huizenga said he was supposed to appear with Vice President Mike Pence at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids Wednesday afternoon, but prior to the rally, he took a rapid test that came back positive for COVID-19.
Earlier today, I was expected to appear with the Vice President. While taking part in offsite testing protocols, I took a rapid test that came back positive for COVID-19. I am awaiting the results of a PCR test and I am self isolating until I have confirmed results.
— Rep. Bill Huizenga (@RepHuizenga)
Huizenga says he is awaiting results of a PCR test to confirm, and will be self-isolating until then.
The Michigan House is putting new protocols in place to help Michigan through the coronavirus pandemic.
Many of these new measures are aimed at keeping seniors in nursing homes safe.
The legislation will prohibit a coronavirus positive patient from coming back until they have fully recovered, or if the facility has set up a state-approved restricted area for COVID-19 patients.
The plan will also allow in-person visitation in nursing homes and a way to address testing there.
Some other new measures passed in the bill include flexibility for health care workers to test patients, and extended validity of vehicle registrations, licenses and state IDs.
Deeds and wills will also no longer need to be signed in person. They can be signed electronically through the end of the year.
It also says the health department and Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs have until by Nov. 15 to come up with indoor and outdoor visitation policies and plans to improve testing and data reporting.
On Tuesday, the House also passed two other Senate-approved bills. One would allow retirees to help the UIA or MIOSHA without forfeiting their retirement benefits. And another bill is a plan to safely reopen state unemployment offices and Secretary of State branches.
Coronavirus cases are up in more than 30 states.
As cases show no signs of slowing, medical setbacks are causing some concern. Health experts are worried the current surge could overwhelm hospitals as the colder weather sets in.
And vaccine and antibody treatment trials have taken some major blows-a trial for an antibody treatment from Eli Lilly is halted because of a possible safety issue. It comes one-day after Johnson & Johnson said it’s pausing an advanced clinical trial of a vaccine for a similar concern.
But some experts say finding these issues now could actually be a positive.
Medical Analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner says, “There are no quick fixes here. This is why we have to do science. I’m actually not discouraged by these pauses, this is why we do clinical trials. We’ll get it right and we’ll have great therapeutics. I’m not really worried about these, you know, speed bumps.”
Drug-maker Pfizer is starting new testing on its vaccine.
They are planning to start testing its experimental coronavirus vaccine on children as young as 12, an age group that has not seen much clinical testing to this point.
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