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Covid 19

Michigan Officials Report 1,597 New COVID-19 Cases, 33 Deaths

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Michigan health officials are reporting 1,597 new cases of the coronavirus and 33 additional COVID-19 deaths.

Michigan has now had 150,998 total confirmed coronavirus cases and 7,086 COVID-19 deaths.

Tuesday the state was at 149,392 confirmed cases with 7,053 deaths.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services 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 17, 109,539 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).

A new emergency order on nursing home visits was issued Wednesday morning by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The new order updates and expands requirements for residential care facilities, while also allowing indoor visitations in certain circumstances.

The new visitation rules are linked to the risk level of the county according to the MI Safe Start Map.

Indoor visitation is now allowed in areas where the current risk level is A, B, C, or D, so long as the facilities have had no new cases within the last 14 days.

There are still a number of counties in northern Michigan with their risk level set at E, meaning indoor visitations are still prohibited. Those counties include Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Luce, Mackinac, Mecosta, Newaygo and Oscoda.

Based on county risk levels and the type of visit, some visitors will be required to take a COVID-19 test.

Visitors will be required to wear facemasks and social distance when possible.

Visits must also be scheduled with the facility.

The Unemployment Insurance Agency is now offering call in appointments for people with specific claim issues.

By scheduling a phone appointment you will be able to get help with issues at your convenience.

An agent will call on the designated day and time you choose.

You can schedule an appointment if you filed under the wrong social security number, need to file a second claim, or if your claim is inactive.

Appointments can be scheduled online up to one week in advance.

Nearly $25 billion in benefits have been paid to $2.2 million Michigan residents.

Traverse City Area Public Schools reported a positive COVID-19 case connected to Traverse City Central High School.

They will hold remote learning days both Wednesday and Thursday to give the Grand Traverse County Health Department time to do contact tracing.

The district also reported a possible exposure site at an East Middle School volleyball game.

If you were at the LEAP volleyball game between West Middle school and East Middle School on Oct. 12, the health department says you should monitor for symptoms.

With House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 48-hour tentative deadline expired, there is still no official deal on a second stimulus package.

Now talks are set to resume Wednesday and a vote is expected later Wednesday night.

Democrats are still pushing for a deal worth $2 trillion, but the cost is still too much for many Republicans.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Senate Republicans he advised the White House not to agree to a large coronavirus stimulus bill ahead of the election.

McConnell says Democrats are simply asking for too much.

“All or nothing. That’s been their position. Either Democrats get every unrelated policy they want, or American families got nothing. So for months they blocked bi-partisan aid at every single turn,” McConnell says.

Coronavirus hospitalizations are now on the rise in 38 states, including a concerning spike in Wisconsin that is crippling hospitals.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have more than tripled over the last month in Wisconsin.

At the University Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, doctors say patients are now coming in with noticeably more severe symptoms than at the beginning of the pandemic.

Now all three of the hospital’s COVID-19 units are overflowing.

But even as the two sides can’t agree on a price tag for the new package, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the two sides are getting closer on several major differences, like how they should spend money on testing and contact tracing.

That’s an issue that has separated them for months.

“I’m optimistic because we have shared values, not many but shared values when it comes to crushing the virus,” Pelosi says.

Wednesday, the Senate is expected to vote on a scaled-down relief package of $500 billion. The president said Tuesday he would like to see that number increased.

Dr. Alexandra Wick, with University Hospital, says, “I didn’t have any COVID patients a couple weeks ago and now my whole service is COVID patients.”

With the recent spike, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a strong recommendation for mask-wearing on airplanes, trains, buses and in taxis.

For the latest coronavirus news, public exposure sites and additional resources,

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