Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan gave an update on the city's response to COVID-19 on Monday afternoon.
He was joined by Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair and Dr. Robert Dunne.
The press conference came just a day after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced new COVID-19 restrictions that go into effect Wednesday.
Duggan showed the different 7-day positive infection rate in southeast Michigan on Oct. 21, when he gave his last update, and Monday, Nov. 16.
On Oct. 21, the positive infection rate was:
Oakland County – 5.7%
Wayne County – 5.4%
Macomb County – 8%
Detroit – 2.5%
On Nov. 16, the positive infection rate is
Oakland – 13.1%
Wayne – 12.6%
Macomb – 17%
Detroit – 6.8%
Duggan said he's been fielding phone calls all day from restaurant owners and casinos upset they had to close even though they've done a great job. He said that Gov. Whitmer had to treat us as a region, and if Detroit was kept open but surrounding areas weren't, people would flock to Detroit.
"City of Detroit businesses are being shut down now because of irresponsible behavior in the surrounding communities," Duggan said.
The city is also offering free testing to residents, with no need for prescription or insurance. The testing site moved from the State Fairgrounds to the Williams Recreation Center, and testing is done Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The results are expected within a day or two, Duggan said.
Chief Health Officer Denise Fair said toolkits are available for business owners at DetroitMeansBusiness.org, and if businesses don't comply with the pandemic orders, they can face fines up to $1,000 and risk being shut down.
Related: State leaders, other groups react to 3-week pause in Michigan over rising COVID-19 cases
During these three weeks, which are between Nov. 18 and Dec. 8, the state will mandate that these operations be closed:
- in-person learning at high schools, colleges and universities
- theaters, stadiums and arenas
- All who are able to work from home will be required to do just that
- dine-in restaurants and bars
- organized sports, except professional sports
- bowling centers, ice skating, indoor water parks
- bingo halls, casinos, arcades
- group fitness classes
Related: MHSAA suspends fall sports tournaments, winter sports amid 3-week pause
There will be several areas that will remain open, according to the state. Those include:
- Hair salons, barber shops & other personal services
- Gyms and pools for individual exercise
- Retail stores
- Indoor gatherings limited to two households & 10 people
- Small outdoor gatherings limited to 25 people
- Preschool through 8th grade
- Childcare
- Public transit
- Manufacturing, construction, other work impossible to do remotely.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.