Michigan is reporting 660 new cases of the coronavirus and 7 additional COVID-19 deaths.
Michigan now has 72,502 total confirmed coronavirus cases and 6,108 COVID-19 deaths.
Thursday the state was at 71,842 confirmed cases with 6,101 deaths.
The state is now providing weekly updates on the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19. These numbers will be updated every Saturday.
As of July 10, 53,867 are being reported as recovered in Michigan.
The state defines ‘recovered’ as the number of persons with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who are alive 30 days post-onset (or referral date if onset is not available).
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order Friday strengthening and clarifying her previous order requiring all Michiganders to wear a mask in indoor public spaces and crowded outdoor spaces.
Under the new order, businesses cannot assume that an unmasked customer cannot medically tolerate a face covering, though they can accept a customer’s verbal representation to that effect.
The new order also requires public safety officers to wear a face covering unless doing so would seriously interfere in the performance of their responsibilities.
The order also clarifies that wearing a mask at a polling place for the purpose of voting is not required, but still strongly recommended.
Those exempt from wearing a face covering in public spaces and crowded outdoor spaces include people who:
- Are younger than five years old;
- Cannot medically tolerate a face covering;
- Are eating or drinking while seated at a food service establishment;
- Are exercising when wearing a face covering would interfere in the activity; or
- Are at a polling place for purposes of voting in an election.
The MHSAA announced on Friday that the fall sports season will begin as traditionally scheduled. There are some potential interruptions as well due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Fall sports will start as scheduled, with football practices to begin on Aug. 10 and the rest of fall sports to begin on Aug. 12.
If the situation changes, fall practices and competitions could be delayed. If that happens, low-risk fall sports that can be played will be completed while higher-risk sports will be postponed to later in the school year. If fall sports are suspended, the schedule would change where fall and spring sports could potentially extend into July 2021. Winter sports would begin in November.
The MHSAA did consider swapping fall and spring sports, but decided against it due to high-risk sports in the spring as well. They did not want to make athletes choose between a fall or spring sport if they put the low-risk sports in the fall and the high-risk sports in the spring.
The plans will depend on Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Safe Start Plan. The MHSAA Representative Council will meet again on July 29 to discuss more of their plans. They will build more coronavirus-related policies for fall sports and will have those available once the season approaches.
Organizers say 2020’s Soo Film Festival is canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, they are looking into the possibilities of having an online event, which will be decided later on.
This would have been the seventh year for the festival in the Soo on Sept. 16 through 20. Festival President Jason Markstrom says they could not “in good conscience” risk the wellbeing of others.
He also said filmmakers had worked hard—and they were excited to show off that hard work in 2020.
“Due to the ever-changing conditions we cannot in good conscience risk the well-being of our staff, friends, family, and fellow film fans. This year’s filmmakers put hard work and tremendous effort into their films and we were very excited to show them off,” Markstrom says.
They Soo Film Festival looks forward to showcase the work of independent and emerging filmmakers next year.
COVID-19 has claimed more than 138,000 lives in the United States.
Two states, Texas and Florida, reported their biggest single-day death tolls since the pandemic started; 156 people died in Florida and 129 people died in Texas.
More than half of U.S. states are now mandating face masks in public places. Colorado’s governor says lives and the economy depend on people following the mask mandate.
But in Georgia, where cases are continuing to surge, their governor filed a lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance, trying to block her mask order.
Gov. Brian Kemp argues Bottoms’ mask order violates his emergency orders. But mayors across Georgia are supporting Mayor Bottoms.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson says, “We believe Gov. Kemp is overstepping his authority.”
And Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz says, “We believe the local orders will stand and we can fight this.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is extending its No Sail Order for cruise ships through the end of September.
This suspends operations on cruise ships with the capacity to carry at least 250 passengers on U.S. waters.
Even the local lemonade stand is struggling, but some relief may be on the way.
Country Time says it will write $100 bailout checks to kids whose lemonade stands have shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The company’s Littlest Bailout Relief Fund helps offset the loss of revenue for junior entrepreneurs and their curbside gigs.
Kids under the age of 14 qualify, just get a parent or guardian to help apply online before August 12.
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