At least 160 public schools and 32 colleges and universities are reporting Monday new or ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) data.
COVID-19
At a special meeting Thursday, the Three Rivers Board of Education (BOE) began an annual evaluation for Superintendent Ron Moag. Evaluation-related activities took place in closed session, and no action was taken pertaining to the evaluation. The purpose of the first meeting was for Moag to present a portfolio of his work and accomplishments. A follow-up meeting will conclude the evaluation process. Also at Thursday’s meeting, a pay increase vote was retaken to correct a conflict-of-interest error in a previous vote on Monday. In other TRCS news, two schools reported positive COVID-19 cases on Thursday.
Effective a 3:15 p.m. Thursday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a new pandemic health order in response to sharply-rising COVID-19 case numbers. The order’s language limits the number of attendees that may gather at indoor and outdoor gatherings in a variety of settings, particularly those where health officials have observed the most rapid spread of the virus. In related news, In a press release Thursday, Office of the St. Joseph County Administrator announced that the county’s Courts Building is closed to the public.
The question of whether masks work has been debated since the first documented COVID-19 cases arrived in the United States earlier this year. Watershed Voice looks at the mechanics of how a mask stands up to the spread of a virus.
After remaining steady at 11 since late summer, the St. Joseph County death count due to the COVID-19 virus now stands at 15. One death occurred the week before last according to comments last week by Rebecca Burns, Health Officer with the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency (BHSJ). Three more deaths were added to BHSJ’s online statistics early this week.
Following a period of several weeks in which daily new cases declined in St. Joseph County, the COVID-19 infection rate climbed again this week with over 30 new cases.
State and local public health officials expressed concern Tuesday about how COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are beginning to rise in Michigan during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon. Hospitalizations have gone up 80% in recent weeks, officials warned.
In a marathon session, complete with ongoing negotiation between the GOP legislative leaders and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the state House and Senate on Wednesday finalized bills to address COVID-19 policies centering on unemployment benefits and business liability.
In a letter Tuesday, administrators at White Pigeon Junior/Senior High School announced that two individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 at the school. Administrators have decided to close the school building to in-person learning, instead commencing with all virtual learning starting on Wednesday, October 14.
The Glen Oaks Community College (GOCC) Board of Trustees held a planning retreat and regular meeting Thursday morning at the college. President Dr. David Devier and other administrators and staff provided updates on pandemic cases and measures at the college, as well as on several student funding programs provided with assistance from the State of Michigan. Devier also said Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the college’s 2021 budget at flat funding.
Superintendent Ron Moag said a recent masking policy for all students and staff will remain in place at all Three Rivers Community Schools (TRCS) buildings. At a Board of Education (BOE) work session Monday evening, Moag said state agencies like the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continue to require them despite a Friday Michigan Supreme Court Decision pertaining to the legal legitimacy of pandemic-related Executive Orders from the Governor’s Office.
The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday ruled that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer did not possess the legal authority under two laws to extend states of emergency and issue executive orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitmer said after 21 days, a number of health and safety protocols she has mandated will continue under “alternative sources of authority that were not at issue” in Friday’s ruling.
Michigan is wrapping up critical census response collection efforts on Wednesday amid confusion over the national deadline. Despite a court ruling last week to uphold the original deadline on Oct. 31, the U.S. Census Bureau, headed by President Trump’s Department of Commerce, is moving ahead with a deadline of Oct. 5.
In a press release Monday, Three Rivers Community Schools (TRCS) confirmed it had a positive coronavirus case. Centreville Public Schools (CPS) also confirmed a positive case with a Centreville Junior/Senior High School student on Friday.
A digital divide that emerged as a major problem when schools shut down amid the pandemic last spring has persisted into the new academic year, and advocates for funding say help is urgently needed for kids whose schools remain partly or entirely online.
Being a parent of young children can be a challenge under normal circumstances. The COVID-19 pandemic has naturally made that much tougher for many families.
Michigan residents with bottles and cans still piled up will soon have more options for redeeming their 10-cent deposits, the Michigan Department of Treasury announced Monday.
At least 28 K-12 public schools and 19 colleges and universities in Michigan have reported having new or ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks, according to an update from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).