Macomb County’s SMART bus vaccination program draws praise, but doses remain in low supply
DETROIT – Macomb County’s partnership with SMART to help senior citizens vaccinated went into effect Wednesday.
Recommended Videos
Sharon Gurney received her first COVID-19 vaccine dose recently just by answering the phone when Macomb County and SMART called her.
“I was thrilled, I couldn’t believe it,” Gurney said. “They called us. We were surprised and happy at the same time.”
The state has been sending Macomb County fewer doses every week, leaving many seniors unable to get vaccinated.
The latest: Michigan coronavirus cases up to 577,203; Death toll now at 15,188
WATCH Local 4 News at 11
Metro Detroit weather: Another snow storm before week’s end
If you didn’t see the low temperatures from Wednesday morning, maybe it’s best that we just move on. The good news is we can leave that comical cold in the rearview mirror as our next snow chance approaches.
Click here to read the full forecast.
4 Fast Facts
- A majority of residential streets in Detroit have already been cleared of snow, but Detroit did not meet its 24-hour goal of clearing the streets. Around 85 percent of streets were cleared within the timeframe. Click here to read more.
- A Metro Detroit woman in a battle to get her vehicle back from an off-site parking lot in Toronto has been told that she needs to pay $2,800 to retrieve it. Click here to read more.
- Investigators with the Detroit Fire Department believe residents’ stoves that were being used for heat could be to blame for an apartment fire on Detroit’s east side. Click here to read more.
- Police in Detroit are giving parents free gun locks with the goal of preventing accidental shooting deaths of children after recent shootings in the city. Click here to read more.
Be Informed
11 takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID update: Variant spreading, Michigan vaccinations, relief money
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer provided an update Wednesday on the state’s handling of COVID-19, talking about the more contagious variant, vaccinations and what’s next for Michigan.
Detroit residents 60 and older with certain medical conditions can now receive COVID-19 vaccine
Detroit residents who are 60 and older and have certain chronic medical conditions can now get the COVID-19 vaccine, Mayor Mike Duggan said.
“Detroit is committed to making vaccines available to all our most vulnerable residents,” Duggan said. “People with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or other chronic conditions have death rates from COVID far greater than the general population.”
Early studies suggest vaccines may reduce COVID transmission
The Biden Administration announced Wednesday it will provide $650 million to expand testing for schools and underserved populations and an additional $815 million for the manufacturing of testing supplies.
That’s on top of the nearly $200 million for virus genome sequencing, which is critical for tracking new variants of the virus.