news

Here is an update for April 28.

Thought for the Day: “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller

Yesterday continued the cadence of better news for the last few days. Michigan’s numbers yesterday confirmed 432 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, the lowest increase since March 23, in the initial days of when this state’s outbreak began. Michigan has 38,210 people who have tested positive with the virus to date. There were 93 new deaths, bringing the death count to 3,407. What isn’t clear is if the lower number is because there’s been less testing or reflective of  the real trend. We need to see if the numbers go back up when there are more tests. Weekends show a decline in testing, we will monitor testing this week. We are now seventh in the country for the number of cases, but remain the third highest state in the country for the number of deaths.

These are not statistics we want. We’re making progress even though this isn’t over yet. This progress has been possible because those of us who needed to stay home did. Most people are physically distancing and now we are wearing masks. We still have jobs to do.  I read two stories in last 24 hours that have struck me. MLive observed: “In little more than a month, the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic shocked vibrant Detroit to near a stand-still and exposed its socioeconomic scars. Hospitals are strained, morgues are packed, funeral homes can’t keep up with new business and the streets of downtown are eerily quiet. Most residents of the coronavirus “hot spot” city are dutifully avoiding parks, wearing masks in public and anticipating a return to some sort of normality.”

And I read this description in the Washington Post of this new normal last night: “Silence is not so much a well-earned gift as a voracious monster that has snuffed out the reassuring rumble and roar of daily life. The Bible says, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” But sometimes in this age of covid-19, it seems that the sweet cacophony in our dreams is what soothes us, not the silence of our waking hours.”

“I live alone. I am not permitted to visit neighbors or friends. I am not permitted to be somewhere other than my primary residence. I cannot take one of the few available trains.., Everything would be closed anyway, including hotels. I cannot escape by means of an airplane to another country. Even if I could, all I would find would be more silence.”

“Sleep is actually a welcome respite because in my dreams, it’s noisy,” she says. “I talk to people I know. I talk to people I never met. I am in places I know. I am in places I have never been. Sleep is the easy part. It’s waking up that is harder.”

“Some people find the quiet calming. They feel closer to God. They give in to the stillness and consider their destiny. They have a silver-lining attitude: The air is cleaner; crimes rates have dropped; school shootings ceased in the United States. If you tilt your head and squint, the quieting of the world can be seen as a gift. But when we, the agitated, try to breathe deeply and locate our spiritual center, it’s elusive.”

“The silence isn’t a respite; it’s relentless. It’s no longer the absence of sound; it is the sound.”

And the story of the Detroit healthcare worker who died after being denied a coronavirus test four times. Deborah Gatewood was 63. She had two years to go before she could retire. We need more tests. No health care worker should be denied a test, let alone four times. The most recent relief package Congress passed will help send more money and tests to states, but we should have been mass producing tests months ago.

We need to reach out, call those you love, your neighbor alone, an old classmate, the senior with no one to care, the front line worker you know who is tired and needs a boost. We need to show compassion, kindness and humor right now. A random act of kindness can break the silence, add hope, change the path of the day and week.
 
Many in our state continue to need help. Michigan unemployment payments have reached over $1 billion to 1 million workers. This is very real and we all know someone who has been touched by this. A brother, sister, daughter, father, or cousin. If you know anyone who needs access to unemployment, please let them know there’s money available to assist them during this time. They can visit here to apply for unemployment.
 
Grocery stores in Michigan must now provide employees with masks and require them to wear the masks. The order also requires stores to set aside specific times for those most vulnerable to COVID-19 — people over 60 years of age, pregnant women and people with underlying chronic health issues — to shop grocery and pharmacy. Many stores are already doing that and share this news with anyone you know whose an at risk group. 

If you are healthy, not in a high risk group, no underlying condition, volunteer to help a senior or neighbor with shopping. The senior with stage 4 liver cancer, who talked about how angry he was when he went to the grocery store that so many didn’t where masks (now addressed by the Governor) because of the risks to him, but needs to eat, stays in my head. Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat… I was sick and you looked after me.”

Our COVID-19 telephone town hall will happen tomorrow at 5:30 pm. Joining me will be Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist to discuss Governor Whitmer’s recent executive orders and steps being taken to keep you safe. We want to everyone know that if you are interested, we want you on the call. We are trying to stay accessible so you know what is going on and we answer your questions and concerns. Sign up here to be with us.  This will ensure you receive a call to join.

Team Dingell is here seven days a week and wants to listen and help. It isn’t as smooth as we want on some issues, but we will never stop fighting for you. Call our office at 313-278-2936 or contact us through Facebook or our webpage.
 
New information becomes available every day. Below is a list of resources and information that can be helpful during this time. Please share this information with your family, friends, and colleagues. Remember, stay home, stay safe, save lives.

Coronavirus information

File for unemployment

Small Businesses can apply for low-interest disaster loans

Navigating Social Security Benefits
 
School Based Food Service Interactive Map
 
Food Banks and Kitchens in Michigan's 12th Congressional District
 
Contact numbers for people looking for information are:
• Centers for Disease Control, cdc.gov/coronavirus, 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).
• Michigan.gov/coronavirus, or 888-535-6136.