Michiganders on unemployment will have to prove they’re actively searching for work to keep benefits
During the height of the pandemic, Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency waived the requirement that people receiving benefits had to show they were actively searching for work.
With a COVID vaccine readily available and “help wanted” signs in many storefronts, the UIA told the Oversight Committee that a reinstatement of that requirement is in the works.
Watch live at 9:30 a.m.: Gov. Whitmer provides update on Michigan COVID response
100+ Grosse Pointe Public School teachers call in sick to protest loosened COVID precautions
More than 100 Grosse Pointe Public School teachers called in sick Wednesday to protest the district’s new COVID-19 guidelines.
A total of 116 teachers called in sick, with 47 of them from Grosse Pointe North High School. Instead of having class, Grosse Pointe North High School students waited in the gym until substitute teachers could be brought to the school. Even administration staff got into classes to teach.
May 4, 2021 Michigan elections: What to watch in Metro Detroit
Elections will be held on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 in certain Michigan communities.
In Metro Detroit, there will be elections for multiple school bond or millage proposals and even a mayoral race in Wyandotte.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Biden’s declaration: America’s democracy ‘is rising anew’
President Joe Biden declared that “America is rising anew” as he called for an expansion of federal programs to drive the economy past the coronavirus pandemic and broadly extend the social safety net on a scale not seen in decades.
Biden’s nationally televised address to Congress, his first, raised the stakes for his ability to sell his plans to voters of both parties, even if Republican lawmakers prove resistant. The Democratic president is following Wednesday night’s speech by pushing his plans in person, beginning in Georgia on Thursday and then on to Pennsylvania and Virginia in the days ahead.
In the address, Biden pointed optimistically to the nation’s emergence from the coronavirus scourge as a moment for America to prove that its democracy can still work and maintain primacy in the world.
Looking for COVID-19 vaccines in Metro Detroit: Track openings, clinics, appointments 💉
Weather: Finally, some much-needed rain 🌧
Coronavirus in Michigan 💉
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 833,891 as of Wednesday, including 17,467 deaths, state officials report.
Wednesday’s update includes a total of 4,371 new cases and 38 additional deaths.
Testing has been steady around 35,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate above 11% as of Tuesday, lower than one week ago. Hospitalizations have plateaued over the last week but remain high.
Overall, new cases have slowed over the last 10 days. The state’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 4,167 on Wednesday -- lower than one week ago. The 7-day death average was 60 on Wednesday, slightly higher than the last two weeks. The state’s fatality rate is 2.1%. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 189,000 on Wednesday.
More than 626,000 have recovered from the virus in Michigan.
Michigan has reported more than 6.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered as of Wednesday, with more than 48% of residents having received at least one dose.
Here’s a look at more of the data: