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Today's roundup, as of 12:30 p.m.:
The University of Michigan health system says it's developed its own COVID-19 test. According to the Detroit News:
No details were released on the number of tests the health system has available. Launching its own test will allow Michigan Medicine to bypass Michigan's state laboratory, which until late last week was the state's sole provider of COVID-19 testing.
Henry Ford officials say they're able to test up to 100 patients per day with their new test, which was deployed Monday, and will expand that to 200 per day by next week, and as many as 1,000 per day within weeks. Beaumont Health system officials, meanwhile, said they started Tuesday to process a "limited number" of tests.
Among the local sufferers from COVID-19: A 16-month-old toddler. A Berkley family is self-reporting, via social media, their child's coronavirus diagnosis, according to Fox 2 Detroit:
"Stop taking it effing lightly, THIS IS TERRIFYING. This is our worst nightmare & completely terrifying for our household. Stay home. Please please take this seriously. This could be your child, your grandparent, your loved one," read a social media post from the family.
The boy is said to have only one kidney, and both parents have Type 1 diabetes. He was diagnosed after spiking a 104-degree fever, his parents report.
► The officially confirmed COVID-19 case count in Michigan is 80, as of Wednesday at 2 p.m., although early Thursday, media sources were reporting the number had risen to 110. The Wednesday breakdown: Oakland County leads the state with 23. Detroit has 13, Wayne County 10, Macomb 10, Washtenaw 7, Kent 5, Ingham and St. Clair with 2 each, and eight more counties with 1. The full chart is available at the state's coronavirus information website.
► Maya Belen's bat mitzvah, scheduled for April 18 at Temple Israel, has been postponed. The Birmingham pre-teen is among scores of individuals planning major life events in religious facilities who have had to cancel, reschedule or otherwise put off ceremonies, for fear of spreading coronavirus among congregations. The Free Press reports:
Families are grappling not only with financial losses, but also the emotional burden of deciding whose life could be at risk if they attend, and what life milestones are capable of being pushed back.
There’s a ripple effect that extends beyond the immediate family, such as vendors that will lose a substantial amount of work for the next few months, and venues that will take a major hit on revenue for the foreseeable future.
► Blood is in short supply nationwide, and donors locally are stepping up to give. Neal Rubin of the Detroit News visits the American Red Cross' Bloomfield Donation Center. Locally, the Red Cross likes to have a five-day supply of blood. Lately, they've been running way short. Why? Here's why:
Coronavirus caution has led to the cancellation of nearly 4,000 blood drives, with a net loss of more than 100,000 donations. More than 200 of the drives were scheduled in Michigan, and the state is shy more than 6,000 donations.
Even if donors were lined up out the door, rolling up their sleeves, the blood center is only filling every other chair, due to rules of social distancing.
► The public's business can be conducted virtually. The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday issued an order limiting access to state courts, the News reports:
According to the order, "trial courts are ordered to limit access to courtrooms and other spaces to no more than 10 persons, including staff, and to practice social distancing and limit court activity to only essential functions."
Essential functions include arraignments for in-custody defendants, review and determination of requests for search warrants and personal protection orders, certain child protective proceedings and critical issues regarding child support and child custody, among others as specified in the order.
Also, municipal governments are permitted to conduct electronic meetings for the next month, under an order signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer:
The order allows boards, commissions, committees and councils to use telephone or video conferencing tools to meet if they can provide “meaningful access and participation” to the public.
To ensure access, public bodies must make sure there is adequate notice of the meeting, allow for the recording or broadcast of the meeting and provide two-way communication opportunities between the public and the public body. Meeting officials themselves can participate remotely in the meeting.
