Adam Bragenzer

(April 14, 2020 12:36 PM) Henry Ford Allegiance Health cautions that despite early signs of the number of COVID-19 cases starting to plateau in some parts of Michigan, social distancing remains imperative to the health and safety of our community. “Social distancing is still one of the best tools we have to avoid exposure to the virus and to slow the outbreak. Easing up on social distancing too soon could cause another wave of COVID-19,” said Courtland Keteyian, MD, MPH, Vice President of Population Health at Henry Ford Allegiance Health. “It is important that we all continue to do our part to keep ourselves, our families, and our community safe.” Henry Ford Allegiance Health reports, as of 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14, that 46 individuals in their acute care hospital have tested positive for COVID-19; an additional six inpatient individuals have pending test results. To date, a total of 31 positive COVID-19 HFAH inpatients have been treated and discharged. Twelve lives have been lost due to COVID-19 related issues.

(April 14, 2020 12:05 PM) The Jackson County Health Department released the COVID-19 positive numbers for Jackson County.  As of 12 PM today, there are 180 positive cases (cumulative), and 7 deaths (cumulative)*. The Michigan Department of Corrections is reporting as of 9:15 PM Monday, April 13,  there are 197 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases at Jackson prison facilities.  There are 153 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases at Parnall Correctional Facility, 21 at Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center, 9 at Duane Waters Health Center and 13 at G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility. As of 11 a.m. on Monday, April 13, there are 44 individuals with positive COVID-19 results who are inpatients at Henry Ford Allegiance Health. An additional eight persons under investigation are hospitalized at HFAH. To date, a total of 23 positive COVID-19 HFAH inpatients have been treated and discharged, including five patients in the last 24 hours. *These numbers do not reflect any cases or deaths identified through Michigan Department of Corrections.  Their numbers are listed under a separate category "Others" for the Michigan Statistics. Gender Number Percent Male 88 49% Female 92 51% Age - Years Percent 0 -19 0.5% 20 - 29 13% 30 - 39 10% 40…

(April 14, 2020 11:16 AM) A new website aims to make sure Michiganders receive their federal stimulus checks as soon as possible. The 2020 Coronavirus Stimulus Payment website—developed by Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan in partnership with Detroit-based nonprofit design firm Civilla—walks people through a step-by-step process to ensure they’ve provided the IRS with the information necessary to receive their stimulus checks. The vast majority of Michigan residents are eligible for the stimulus checks made available by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law March 27. Individuals earning less than $75,000, or married and filing jointly earning less than $150,000, are likely eligible for full payments of $1,200 per adult plus $500 per child under the age of 17. Heads of household making less than $112,500 also are eligible for full stimulus payments. For most people, the stimulus checks will be directly deposited into the bank account provided on their most recent tax returns or delivered via the Social Security system, starting this month. But people who don’t file taxes, don’t have a bank account or move frequently and don’t have a stable address where the check can be mailed face barriers…

(April 14, 2020 8:39 AM) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and 21 other attorneys general urged the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to enforce the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and require credit reporting agencies to follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) during the COVID-19 crisis. The CFPB’s recent announcement that they would not enforce the law would leave consumers at the mercy of unresponsive credit agencies at a critical time.  “At a time when scams are abundant and mistaken reporting can detrimentally affect consumers’ credit, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should be working toward even greater protections rather than relaxing them,” said Nessel. “By choosing to not enforce many of the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CFPB is opening the door to potential harm to consumers’ credit and buying power along with jeopardizing the nation’s economic rebound.”   The letter, sent Monday, was written in response to an announcement by the CFPB stating: (1) the CFPB would not enforce an amendment to the FCRA that requires lenders to report as current any loans that are affected by a COVID-19-related accommodation; and (2) the CFPB would not take action against consumer reporting agencies that violate the FCRA’s 30-day deadline to investigate consumer disputes.   In their letter, the attorneys general cited three main concerns:  The CFPB’s announcement that it will not enforce…

(April 14, 2020 6:48 AM) Since the beginning of Michigan’s COVID-19 outbreak in mid-March, Henry Ford Health System emergency departments have seen a significant decrease in the number of patients seeking care for medical emergencies such as heart attack, stroke and trauma. Across all nine Henry Ford emergency departments, volumes are down for patients seeking care for potentially life-threatening emergencies. Normally, hundreds of patients are seen daily at Henry Ford emergency departments in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties and in Jackson, Michigan. Emergency departments nationally today sometimes care for up to 50 percent fewer patients then they were seeing before the COVID-19 outbreak. In March at Henry Ford emergency departments, volumes were down 19 percent for non-covid patient emergencies compared to the same period last year. Doctors are concerned about patients they are no longer seeing -- people with chest or abdominal pain, slurred speech, dizziness, and other problems that don’t go away. They worry that some people are delaying necessary care which might place them at risk for serious long-term health problems. “What happens is they hold off and hold off, while getting sicker, then it becomes a much graver condition when they do show up at an ER,”…

(April 13, 2020 10:03 PM) Governor Gretchen Whitmer today signed Executive Order 2020-47, temporarily extending the expiration of valid driver’s licenses, state identification cards and commercial vehicle registrations that would otherwise expire during the state’s COVID-19 emergency declaration. The temporary extension does not apply to motorists with suspended or revoked driver’s licenses. “In times of crisis and uncertainty, the last thing you want to think about is having to renew your driver’s license or state ID card,” Gov. Whitmer said. “It is my sincere hope this order gives all Michiganders with expiring identification some peace of mind as we continue our united front to slow the spread of COVID-19 across our state.” The order, which takes effect April 13 at 11:59 p.m., temporarily extends: Commercial vehicle registrations, including temporary registrations set to expire on or after March 1, 2020 to June 30. Driver’s licenses, learner’s permits and commercial driver’s licenses set to expire between March 1 and May 31, to June 30. People looking to renew their licenses should do so online at Michigan.gov/SOS. The order also suspends penalties for driving with a recently expired but otherwise valid registration. Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is…

(April 13, 2020 10:01 PM) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer today signed Executive Order 2020-46, tasking the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) with initiating a spirits buy-back program to offer financial relief to bars and restaurants with on-premises liquor licenses affected by Executive Order 2020-9 during the continuing COVID-19 crisis. The order empowers the MLCC to use its revolving fund to buy spirits remaining in inventory from bars and restaurants that purchased the spirits prior to March 16, 2020 for their full purchase price. Liquor licensees approved for the program have until 90 days after the state’s emergency and disasters declarations are lifted to re-purchase the spirits from the MLCC. “Michigan’s 8,500 on-premises liquor licensees continue to make unprecedented sacrifices to help slow the spread of COVID-19 across our state,” Governor Whitmer said. “This buy-back program will help our bars and restaurants critical to Michigan’s economy weather the storm through this challenging time in our history.” The Michigan Liquor Control Commission is expected to meet on April 14, 2020, to take official action regarding this executive order. Licensees must make their request no later than Friday, April 17, 2020, at 5 p.m., using the online form on the MLCC website. Information around…