2020
Detroit Pistons player Christian Wood was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 14. [120]
Christian singer Sandi Patty tested positive for the virus on March 18, after having performed a concert at Andrews University in Berrien Springs on March 8. Some individuals attended a VIP experience after the concert and had close contact with the singer. All of the VIP attendees were instructed to self-isolate and monitor symptoms through March 22. [121] Three subsequent cases in Berrien County were linked to the concert. [122]
By March 25, nine Detroit Police Department employees had tested positive for COVID-19, while 280 others had been placed in quarantine. [123] [124] [125] Two deaths were reported within the department on March 24, a 38-year-old civilian dispatcher [124] and a commanding officer within the department who died from complications with the virus. [126] Chief James Craig tested positive for the virus and was under quarantine for over two weeks. [127] [128] As of March 25, six other Detroit city employees had contracted the virus, with numerous others placed under quarantine. [125] The officers and others reportedly contracted the disease at a community breakfast event at Ford Resource and Engagement Center in Detroit on March 6. [129] Seventy-six Detroit police officers and 17 firefighters were infected by March 31. [130]
Eighteen Wayne County Sheriff's Office employees also tested positive for the virus, with the department's first confirmed death on March 25, a 63-year old Commander and 30-year veteran of the department. [131] State representative Isaac Robinson from Detroit died from a suspected COVID-19 infection on March 29 at the age of 44. [132] On April 6, another state representative, Karen Whitsett, also from Detroit, reported she has been also been diagnosed with COVID-19. [133]
On March 27, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams dubbed Metro Detroit, which had a large majority of the cases, a "hot spot". [134] In May, the city of Detroit had 20% of the state's total cases and 25% of the deaths. [135] African Americans made up 31% of the state's total cases and 40% of deaths. [136] A separate study by the Harvard Global Health Institute deemed Macomb County as a hot spot in early August 2020. [137]
Notable clusters were identified within the Michigan Department of Corrections, where 380 inmates and employees have tested positive for the virus within ten of Michigan's twenty-nine prisons by April 10. At least 119 of the cases were linked to the Parnall Correctional Facility in Jackson County. [138] The first employee death was linked to the Detroit Reentry Center. [139] There were two inmate and two employee deaths. [138]
On April 1, the first-ever case of acute necrotizing encephalitis linked to COVID-19 was discovered in the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. [140]
On April 2, Hurley Medical Center pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped uncover the Flint water crisis, reported she tested positive for COVID-19. [141]
On April 6, Flint-based United Auto Workers executive Ruben Burks died from COVID-19 at the age of 86. [142] Also on April 6, Nathel Burtley, former superintendent of Flint Community Schools and Grand Rapids Public Schools, died from COVID-19 at the age of 79. [143]
As of April 9, eight employees at the Durand Senior Care and Rehab facility had tested positive for the virus and all residents were quarantined in their rooms. [144] It confirmed eleven cases on April 12. [145] It reported 70 cases, 39 residents and 31 employees, on April 20. [146] On April 22, nearby nursing home The Lodges of Durand reported one staff member and three residents tested positive for COVID-19. [147]
A nursing home in Cedar Springs reported six deaths from COVID-19 on April 9. It had earlier reported 31 residents and five staff members had COVID-19. [148]
Also on April 9, it was reported 872 staffers in the Henry Ford Health System in Metro Detroit had tested positive for COVID-19, the state's largest outbreak thus far. [149]
Kroger and Meijer reported on April 11 that several of their employees in the state had died from COVID-19. Kroger reported four deaths, while Meijer did not give an exact figure. [150]
On April 14, Regency nursing home in Grand Blanc Township reported 16 cases of COVID-19, four of them deaths. [151]
A Flint Police officer died of COVID-19 on April 17. [152] Also on April 17, Maple Woods Manor nursing home in Clio reported 13 of its residents have died from COVID-19. [153]
On April 19, a five-year-old Detroit girl became Michigan's youngest resident to die from COVID-19 at that point. [154]
On April 20, Hurley Medical Center reported one of its veteran public safety officers died of COVID-19. [155]
On April 21, it was reported 60 workers at a JBS Meat Packaging plant in Gun Plain Township tested positive for COVID-19. [156]
On May 11, 25 female residents and four staff members at Wolverine Home Services, a youth treatment facility in Vassar, tested positive for COVID-19. [157]
On May 12, former state politician Morris Hood III, who served in both houses of the legislature, died of COVID-19 at the age of 54. [158]
On June 19, it was reported over 50 workers at Maroa Farms in Coldwater tested positive for COVID-19. [159]
Starting in late June, Harper's Restaurant & Brew Pub in East Lansing was linked to over 180 cases. [160] The Ingham County Health Department asked anyone who visited the bar between June 12–20 to self-quarantine for 14 days. [161] It also issued an emergency order for all restaurants and bars in the county, requiring them to operate at 50% capacity or no more than 75 people, whichever is less. [162]
On June 24, two members of the Detroit Tigers organization (pitcher Daniel Norris and a coach) tested positive for COVID-19. [163] Norris was later cleared to join the Opening Day roster. [164]
On July 5, it was reported 12 cases were linked to the Playhouse Club in Romulus while another was linked to the Checkers restaurant next door. [165]
An Independence Day party in Saline was linked to 43 confirmed cases. [166]
On July 20, a news release from the Catholic website Global Sisters Report announced that 13 nuns who were members of the Felician Sisters of North America had died from complications of the virus in Livonia. [167]
In late July, the Detroit Lions placed eight players on the injury list after they tested positive for COVID-19. [168]
On July 31, State Senator Tom Barrett tested positive for COVID-19. [169]
The Spring Ministries Camp trip that took place from July 12–17 in Gladwin was linked to 53 confirmed cases and 13 suspected cases. [170]
Another campground, Camp Michawana in Hastings, reported five staff members and one visitor have been diagnosed with COVID-19, possibly exposing 250 people. The Barry-Eaton District Health Department advised people who visited the campground after July 24 should self-quarantine at home for 14 days past the last date of their stay at camp and seek testing immediately if symptoms develop. [171]
On August 6, it was reported 53 employees at United Shore, a mortgage lender in Pontiac, had tested positive for COVID-19 since June 29. [172]
On August 25, the Genesee County Health Department said six people contracted COVID-19 at a wedding reception at the Flushing Valley Golf & Country Club on August 15 where 100 people gathered. [173]
On September 17, a two-month-old baby became the youngest known person to die from COVID-19 in the state. [57]
On October 26, it was reported 778 inmates and 137 employees at Marquette Branch Prison had tested positive for COVID-19. [174] Also on October 26, it was reported 24 inmates at the Calhoun County Correctional Facility had tested positive for COVID-19. [175]
On October 27, it was reported that 11 inmates and three employees at the Genesee County Jail had tested positive for COVID-19 and were placed in quarantine. [176]
On October 29, it was reported that 57 cases had been linked to the Liberty Church in Grand Ledge. [177]
On November 7, it was reported that 13 employees at the Sundance Chevrolet car dealership in Grand Ledge had tested positive for COVID-19. The Barry-Eaton District Health Department says that anyone who was at the dealership from October 29 to November 6 should monitor for symptoms and limit contact with others as much as possible and get tested if they begin to experience any symptoms. [178]
On November 9, Michigan State Spartans men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19. [179]
On November 13, two state legislators reportedly test positive: Senator Kim LaSata and Representative Ann Bollin. The day before, Representative Scott VanSingel confirmed he was recovering from the virus. [180]
On November 16, U.S. Representative for Michigan's 7th congressional district Tim Walberg announced he had tested positive for COVID-19. [181]
On December 1, it was announced State Representative John Chirkun had contracted COVID-19. [182]
On December 9, it was reported 55 Flint municipal employees tested positive for COVID-19. [183]
On December 17, Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon died of COVID-19 at the age of 65. [184]
On December 18, former politician Bill Bullard Jr., who served in both chambers of the state legislature and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, died of complications from COVID-19 and cancer at the age of 77. [185]
On December 23, Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate Mike Shirkey tested positive for COVID-19. He believed he was exposed to the coronavirus on December 19. On December 21, Shirkey attended Lee Chatfield's farewell speech at the Michigan State Capitol. [186]
On December 29, incumbent mayor of Dearborn Heights and former state representative, Daniel S. Paletko, died from complications with COVID-19. [187]
Schools, colleges and universities
For further info on the pandemic's impact on college and high school sports in Michigan, see the College and High school sections
As of October 19, 2020 at least 348 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been linked to Central Michigan University students returning to campus on August 21 and 22 for the fall 2020 semester. [194] In response, the Central Michigan District Health Department issued an emergency public health order limiting outdoor gatherings to 25 people in the city of Mount Pleasant and neighboring Union Township. [195]
On November 15, 2020, after several days of record numbers of new cases in the past month, Governor Whitmer ordered high schools, colleges and universities to exclusively use virtual learning for three weeks, starting November 18. [68]
In Big Ten college football, the Michigan-Ohio State game was cancelled on December 9, 2020 due to the high number of infections on the Michigan team. [196] Michigan and Michigan State's games against Maryland were also cancelled due to outbreaks. [197] [198] [199] [200] Several other college conferences' 2020 football seasons were canceled or shortened. [43] [46]
On September 11, 2020, the president of Michigan State University began looking into interim suspensions for students from the university who are not following COVID-19 guidelines, with 24 cases under review. [201] On September 14, the Ingham County Health Department issued a mandatory 14-day quarantine for 30 large student houses in East Lansing. [202] Eleven more student houses in the city were added to the quarantine on September 17, while two houses previously on the list were removed after further investigations. [203] As of September 17, the school was investigating 51 reports of potential violations of emergency orders. [204] On January 30, 2021, after an uptick in cases, MSU issued a partial lockdown for the campus, which lasted until February 13. [205] As of May 24, 4,194 cases had been confirmed. [206]
On October 20, 2020, an emergency stay-at-home order (with several exceptions) was issued for students at the University of Michigan (U of M), the state's second largest university, for two weeks. Washtenaw County had 4,229 confirmed cases on that date, 2,702 of which were connected to students. [207] [208] U of M canceled all undergraduate housing contracts for the winter 2021 semester and encouraged students to stay home and take classes exclusively via virtual learning. Students who chose to remain on campus needed to request permission from the housing department and rooms were limited to one person each. [209] On January 23, 2021, five people with ties to U of M were discovered to be infected with the new UK variant of COVID-19, causing its sports teams to shut down activities for two weeks. [210] By May 17, 2021, the university had 50 active cases. [206]
On February 2, 2021, Lapeer High School reported 18 cases, sending 200 people to quarantine for two weeks. [211]
On February 17, 2021, 23 cases were reported at Lakeville High School in northeastern Genesee County, 15 of which were students who had gone out-of-state. In response, the school conducted all classes virtually and canceled all sporting events and extracurricular activities until February 26. [212]
On March 16, 2021, it was reported that 21 students at Oxford High School were diagnosed with COVID-19 the previous week due to off-campus social gatherings, causing 195 students to enter quarantine until March 22. [213]
As of May 24, 2021 Grand Valley State University (GVSU) had 1,226 confirmed active cases, the state's second largest outbreak. [206] On September 16, GVSU was issued a mandatory 14-day stay-at-home order for students by the Ottawa County Department of Public Health, when its number of confirmed cases surpassed 600. [214]
As of June 21, 2021, 2,063 students and staff had been infected by coronavirus in school-related outbreaks according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. A total of 1,352 people were infected in ongoing outbreaks associated with seven different college communities, most of them (930) at Western Michigan University. [215]
