Federal mandate takes vaccine decision off employers’ hands
Larger U.S. businesses now won’t have to decide whether to require their employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Doing so is now federal policy.
President Joe Biden announced sweeping new orders Thursday that will require employers with more than 100 workers to mandate immunizations or offer weekly testing. The new rules could affect as many as 100 million Americans, although it’s not clear how many of those people are currently unvaccinated.
Large swaths of the private sector have already stepped in to mandate shots for at least some of their employees. But Biden said Thursday that “many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are not fully vaccinated.”
Detroit Lions official: Ford Field following local COVID guidelines
The countdown for the Detroit Lions season is on, as the team will host the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday at Ford Field.
Ford Field will welcome fans for the first time since the 2019 Lions season, before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Officials announced in July that the stadium would host fans at full capacity for the 2021 season.
However, amid another virus surge, President Joe Biden on Thursday called on large entertainment venues to require fans to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, or a recent negative COVID test, in order to attend an event. Still, Emily Griffin, vice president of marketing for the Lions, says the stadium is following local health mandates.
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Drunk stranger blacks out in Birmingham woman’s garage, drives her car home, returns it with note, gas
A man who got blackout drunk at a nearby restaurant passed out in a Birmingham woman’s garage, woke up wearing only a shirt, drove her car back to his home, filled it up with gas and returned it, along with a note, police said.
US doubles the fine for people who break mask rule on planes
The U.S. is doubling the fine for people who break the rule requiring masks on planes, trains and other forms of public transit to slow the spread of COVID-19, with President Joe Biden warning Thursday that violators should “be prepared to pay.”
First-time offenders would face a potential fine of $500 to $1,000 and second-time offenders could pay $1,000 to $3,000 under rules that the Transportation Security Administration said will go into effect Friday.
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Michigan hospital official delivers powerful remarks about patients who won’t get COVID vaccine
An official from a small hospital in Michigan delivered some powerful and passional remarks Thursday about struggling to treat unvaccinated COVID patients while knowing that those patients didn’t do everything they could to help themselves.
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COVID in Michigan 🦠
Michigan reported 2,364 new cases of COVID-19 and 51 virus-related deaths on Wednesday.
Of the 51 deaths announced Wednesday, 10 were identified during a review of records.
Wednesday’s update brings the total number of confirmed COVID cases in Michigan to 964,317, including 20,447 deaths. These numbers are up from 961,953 cases and 20,396 deaths, as of Tuesday.
Wednesday’s announcement was a one-day total because data was reported on Tuesday this week instead of Monday, due to Labor Day. The next data update is expected this afternoon.
Testing has increased to around 20,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate at 10.72% as of Wednesday, slightly higher than the previous week. The positive test rate has been steadily climbing since the end of June, when it was at its lowest. Hospitalizations have been steadily increasing for several weeks.
Cases are rising again in Michigan. The state’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 1,875 on Wednesday -- a significant jump since the beginning of July. The 7-day death average was 22 on Wednesday. The state’s fatality rate is 2.1%. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 57,000 on Wednesday.
Michigan has reported more than 9.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered as of Wednesday, with 66.3% of 16+ residents having received at least one dose while 57.7% of 16+ residents are considered fully vaccinated.
Here’s a look at more of the data: