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While the health and safety of Michiganders remains Whitmer’s first priority, she is ready to re-engage Michigan’s economy. MI Safe Start is the governor’s plan for laying out the priorities for that reopening, and she says she’ll sign an executive order on Friday that will open both residential and commercial construction by May 7th.

“Businesses are going to need to do their part as we slowly and safely reengage sectors of our economy, ” Whitmer said in a press conference today. “Businesses must protect their employees through careful monitoring of symptoms, instituting an array of social distancing techniques, strengthening sanitation and hygiene, and providing recommended protective equipment whether it’s masks or face shields or a combination thereof and additional measures.”

Some additional protection for workers are being put into place for the future. A new program called Futures for Frontliners, which was inspired by the GI Bill, will provide tuition-free pathways to college or technical certificates to essential workers who don’t have college degrees. She is also expanding the state’s Workshare Program to allow employers to reduce employee hours to receive weekly unemployment insurance (UI) benefits as well as the additional $600 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) weekly benefit.

Governor Whitmer also called on leaders in Congress to support Sen. Gary Peters’ Heroes Fund to provide hazard pay for frontline workers putting their lives on the line to ensure access to life-saving care, food, and other critical services during the pandemic.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Many people dream of taking a cruise to commemorate significant anniversaries or experience the get-away of a lifetime. WGRT spoke with D’Ann Kolan owner of St. Clair Travel, and asked her what the future looks like for those once-in-a-lifetime excursions. D’Ann told us that it is still possible to  book a cruise. There are several variables depending on when and where you want to go, but it’s okay to keep the dream alive.

A popular cruise destination is Alaska. Although cruises to Alaska have been cancelled for this year, you can book for next year. D’Ann recommends the earlier the better if this is on your bucket list.  Another popular destination, the Caribbean, is set to reopen June 1st although there may be some differences between what’s available on each island. One major factor is the reopening of hotels and resorts.  Travel to Europe is also set to reopen at that time, but D’Ann feels July 1st is more realistic.

Guidelines for cancelling big trips like these depends largely on the rules of each tour company and airline. She advises travelers purchase “cancel for any reason” insurance; however, some insurance does not cover a pandemic. If you have questions about travel, D’Ann welcomes your inquiries.

Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn

In every economic crisis there are winners and losers. Without question, dining out, entertainment venues, and manufacturers have taken a huge hit. The question many are asking is, “Who are the winners?” Look no further than your computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone for the answer.

Video conferencing is on the rise. Video communication apps saw a record growth in March. With so much of the global population now living under some kind of degree of lockdown, many organizations have had to shift employees to working-from-home. The result is the demand for video conferencing apps has surged in recent weeks, with mobile app downloads reaching 62 million during the week March 14-21 – the highest number ever seen.

Zoom was the undisputed winner growing from 10 million users a day in December to 300 million users a day in April of this year. Video apps are not just useful in conducting business. Churches are using them to conduct weddings, funeral homes have turned to them for memorial services, and families use them to celebrate significant events like birthdays and anniversaries.

Of course, along with the convenience comes certain risks. The FBI has warned the public of the potential for “Zoom-bombing.”  Zoom-bombing is when unwanted guests intrude on video meetings for malicious purposes.  Zoom-bombing has significantly increased during the pandemic. Zoom recommends that users refrain from sharing meeting links on social media or in public forums, avoiding the use of your personal meeting ID (PMI) to host public meetings, and familiarizing yourself with Zoom and its settings before using the platform so you understand how to protect your virtual space.

 

Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn

A group of Michigan House members today said the governor should revise an initial COVID-19 economic reopening map that places St. Clair and Lapeer counties in the Metro Detroit region.

Reps. Shane Hernandez of Port Huron, Pamela Hornberger of Chesterfield Township, Gary Eisen of St. Clair Township and Gary Howell of North Branch noted COVID-19 is significantly less prevalent in St. Clair and Lapeer counties than in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. St. Clair and Lapeer should be on track for reopening more quickly than the Metro Detroit area, the lawmakers said.

“It’s ridiculous that St. Clair County – with a few hundred confirmed COVID-19 cases – would be placed in the same region as Wayne County, with several thousand COVID-19 cases,” Hernandez said. “The governor needs a new map. This is another sign that she, or her advisory group that suggested the regions, is out of touch with what’s going in different parts of the state when it comes to COVID-19.”

As of Monday, St. Clair County had 304 confirmed cases of COVID-19 while Lapeer County had 164 confirmed cases. Detroit had 8,679 cases, with Wayne County at 7,193, Oakland County at 6,913 and Macomb County at 5,245.

Lapeer and St. Clair counties were included in a nine-county ‘Detroit region’ on the map from the Michigan Economic Recovery Council, whose guidance Gov. Whitmer said will be a consideration as she moves forward with plans to reopen the economy.

“The governor said she is going to be reliant on data as she reopens the economy – well, this is her chance to prove it,” Howell said. “The COVID-19 data indicates Lapeer and Detroit are in significantly different circumstances.”

Hornberger said the governor must work with the Legislature to reopen Michigan in a safe, commonsense fashion.

“The Legislature represents the people – and the people deserve a voice in this process,” Hornberger said. “The governor has been making too many decisions without input from the Legislature, and it’s hurting the people of Michigan who want to safely get back to work.”

Eisen said the governor’s unilateral actions were a factor in the Legislature’s decision to establish the Joint Select Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic. The panel, with membership from both the House and Senate, will provide oversight and accountability on how state government is responding to COVID-19.

“We need answers and information from the governor to find out how decisions like this are being made,” Eisen said. “Putting our small cities and townships in the same boat with Metro Detroit on COVID-19 – it’s not right and it’s not acceptable.”

Submitted by Tim Martin

Dr. Annette Mercatante,  Medical Health Officer of the St. Clair County Health Department, updated the Port Huron City Council on the COVID-19 situation in St. Clair County at their meeting Monday night. The City Council met in person observing social distancing requirements and navigating communication while wearing masks.

Dr. Mercatante clarified some of the terminology being used to report on COVID-19, specifically the difference between confirmed and probable cases and the purposes of isolation vs. quarantine.

Confirmed cases represent patients who have tested positive for the virus, while probable cases represent those who have the clinical symptoms of the virus along with being associated with a person who has tested positive for the virus or having recently traveled to an area that has community spread of the virus.

Isolation is the practice of removing a sick individual from contact with others to prevent them from spreading the disease, while quarantine refers to keeping non-sick individuals away from others to prevent exposure to disease. Dr. Mercatante urges the correct use of both practices to keep the virus from spreading.

When looking at the data associated with COVID-19 cases, she also urged a focus on the trends that are emerging rather than individual numbers. Because of the “real time” nature of the Michigan Data Surveillance System, numbers can go up and down each day as thousands of healthcare workers across the state enter data into the system.

Important trends to consider include the steady percentage of people recovering from the disease and the county’s relatively low percentage of hospitalizations and deaths which are lower than other areas in Michigan.

As the county prepares for the gradual lifting of stay-home orders, Dr. Mercatante expressed that the data indicates less than 5% of our population has been affected by COVID-19. “When we loosen our social distancing measures and we’re not paying as much attention to staying away from each other, this virus will be transmitted again,” she said.

With only 7% of our hospital beds in the county being used by COVID-19 patients, and the resources the county has built during the stay-home order, our medical system is in a much better place to care for COVID-19 patients than it was at the onset of the situation. However, that doesn’t mean that this is over. “When we open up, there is a defined risk that goes with that. Personally, I think that we just have to manage that risk.” said Dr. Mercatante.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Former Fogcutter restaurant owner Jeremiah “Jerry” Patrick O’Connor passed away at age 87, on April 23, 2020, at Kingston Residence in Perrysburg, Ohio. Jerry had been living at home in Perrysburg with his wife Mary Anne as his primary caregiver until Mary Anne died on March 25, 2020.

Jerry graduated from MSU with a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management. His restaurant management career included managing the Harrington Hotel food service operations. Jerry then realized his lifelong dream and opened The Fogcutter restaurant in 1969. He operated it for over 33 years.

The Fogcutter restaurant was an iconic place, with a stunning top floor location in the Peoples Bank building in downtown Port Huron overlooking the St. Clair River and the beautiful Blue Water Bridge. It was a large restaurant operation, with two full kitchens, and seating for over 350 people, including the banquet rooms. Many will remember the Fogcutter salad and dressing, the Maurice salad, Hot Brown sandwich, Almond Fried Shrimp, Lake Huron perch and walleye, exceptional prime rib on the weekends, and the famous Mile High Fogcutter Pie for dessert.

Cathy Martinek, Account Executive for WGRT, knew him well and remembers Jerry as a gentle giant. Cathy said, “He was a great restaurant owner, compassionate and helpful to his employees….gentleman first class to his restaurant guests, kind and generous to his community.  He will be missed.”

Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn