Category: Corona Virus

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. As more school districts across the United States plan to bring back students to campus for in-person learning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released new guidance for schools reopening amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The CDC explained that its essential to decide when and under what conditions schools would open, in order to help protect students, teachers and staff, while also slowing the spread of COVID-19. But the agency added that its critical for schools to reopen safely and as soon as possible.

Heres a look at some highlights from the new CDC guidance.

What strategies should schools follow to reopen and stay open?

To enable schools to open and remain open, the CDC said its important to adopt and consistently implement actions to slow the spread of COVID-19, both in schools and in the community.

If community transmission is high, students and staff are more likely to come to school while infected, and COVID-19 can spread more easily in schools.

Mitigation strategies include: universal and correct use of masks; physical distancing; handwashing and respiratory etiquette; cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities; contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine.

When and how should schools reopen safely?

The CDC said the first step is to assess the level of community transmission when deciding when to reopen and stay open.

The guidance suggested elementary schools can continue in-person instruction even at high levels of community transmission, but virtual instruction is recommended for middle and high schools.

The highest level of transmission is determined two ways: when there are 100 or more virus cases per 100,00 people in the community over a seven-day period, or when 10% or more of the coronavirus tests in a community come pack positive over seven days.

Schools open for in-person instruction can decide to remain open even at high levels of community transmission, the CDC said but those decisions should be guided on school-specific factors, such as the number of cases among students, teachers and staff.

In communities with high levels of transmission, high prevalence of COVID-19 in the community could also result in many teacher and staff quarantines due to exposures in the community, limiting the ability of schools to safely remain open, the CDC stated.

Should there be high COVID-19 transmission in the community, there should be a classroom-first approach. Schools should prioritize in-person classroom instruction over extracurriculars such as sports and school events.

While vaccination shouldnt be a requirement to reopen, the CDC emphasized that state and local officials give high priority to teachers in the early phases of vaccine distribution. (AP, Getty photos)AP, Getty

Should all school staff be vaccinated to reopen schools?

According to the CDC guidance, access to vaccination shouldnt be considered a condition to reopen schools for in-person learning. Even after school staff members are vaccinated, schools need to continue safety measures for the foreseeable future.

While vaccination shouldnt be a requirement to reopen, the CDC emphasized that state and local officials give high priority to teachers in the early phases of vaccine distribution.

Vaccinating teachers and school staff can be considered one layer of mitigation and protection for staff and students. Strategies to minimize barriers to accessing vaccination for teachers and other front-line essential workers, such as vaccine clinics at or close to the place of work, are optimal, the CDC stated.

Is the guidance required by school districts to reopen?

School districts arent required to adopt these strategies. The guidance serves as recommendations for public and non-public schools.

Local and state agencies can choose to use the recommendations as part of their reopening strategies.

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New CDC school guidelines amid coronavirus: 4 key things to know - SILive.com

IONIA, MICH. Of the nearly 900 positive cases of COVID-19 in the Michigan prison system, more than half of those cases are found in Ionia County, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.

This is coming just about a week after it was announced by the MDOC that the UK variant of COVID-19 was found at Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Ionia. The variant is said to be more contagious and potentially more deadly than the original strain of coronavirus.

RELATED: MDOC facility in Ionia detects case of B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant

237 positive cases are at Bellamy Creek. Just down the road at the Michigan Reformatory, there are 252 cases of COVID-19.

And it is spreading like wildfire, said Maurisa, whose loved one is currently incarcerated at Bellamy Creek.

Maurisa asked we allow her to remain anonymous because she fears she or her loved one could face consequences if they are identified as having spoke to FOX 17.

My concerns are that there are more positive cases than theyre letting people know about, Maurisa said.

MDOC says case counts at its facilies have ebbed and flowed since the start of the pandemic.

Some facilities were not hit hard early on, and some saw spikes in the second wave last fall. Numbers around the state have been falling which is good to see. There has been a recent uptick at IBC, as we have begun testing all prisoners every day, to search for the variant, compared to the weekly testing we had been doing. For much of the pandemic, Bellamy Creek went relatively unscathed and they are now starting to see a larger number of positive cases.

As for Reformatory, they havent had any new covid cases in two weeks. They currently show 252 positive cases, but many of those should be moving to the step-down phase this week once the healthcare staff can review their cases.

Michigan Department of Corrections

The Ionia County Health Department has not responded to requests for comment as of publishing time.

SEE MORE: 1 in 5 prisoners in the US has had COVID-19, 1,700 have died

SEE MORE: CORONAVIRUS IN WEST MICHIGAN

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More than half of all COVID-19 cases in Michigan prisons are in Ionia County - Fox17

Regardless of the number of confirmed cases, the recommended protocols do not change. Our residents and business community should continue to follow the CDC guidelines regarding social distancing (stay at least 6 feet away from each other), wash hands regularly, avoid touching your face and stay indoors except for essential trips and to get medical care. If we all implement these practices into our daily routine it will go a long way towards slowing the spread.

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Town of Secaucus - Corona Virus Information

Coronavirus in 3D, mutation origins and India invests in virology  Nature.com

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Coronavirus in 3D, mutation origins and India invests in virology - Nature.com

Florists hoping for Valentines Day uptick more likely face lossesABC News: Nicole Asher

By Freya Michie

Many Victorian small business who had hoped for brisk Valentine's Day trade today, are instead more likely to make losses due to the state's snap "circuit-breaker" five-day lockdown, now in its second day.

Stephanie Rondos from the small, family run 'In Full Bloom' florist in South Melbourne said she would be lucky to break even on what should have been one of the busiest days of the year.

"Everything changed so quickly, we didn't expect it, so we had ordered as we would have for a normal Valentine's Day," she said.

"Being a small family business, we have struggled throughout this pandemic, like so many other small businesses, so today would have been one of those days that would have brought us back on top, but it hasn't been the case," Ms Rondos said.

"I think this will set us back significantly ... but we're all hands on deck doing everything we can to try to recoup the money we're potentially going to lose today," she said.

"We're just hoping every thing is back to normal by Mother's Day," she said.

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Coronavirus Australia live news: Pfizer doses to arrive this week, Australia on track for vaccine rollout in late February - ABC News

CONNECTICUT The state Department of Public Health has identified 22 additional cases of the B.1.1.7 coronavirus strain the so-called "U.K. Variant" identified in Connecticut, bringing the statewide total to 42.

Specimen collection dates from these newly identified cases were from between Jan. 12 and Feb. 3, and the ages of the people infected range from 5 to 90.

The DPH's battle against the new, virulent strain has been described as a race against time. It appeared on our shores around the same time as the coronavirus vaccine became widely available, but it is 50-70 times more contagious than the strain that locked the state down last spring.

The 22 newly identified cases are residents of the following towns:

On the positive side, the number of state residents hospitalized with the coronavirus continued to drop sizably on Friday as the daily positivity test rate eased another tenth of a point, to 2.22 percent.

Connecticut reported 838 new cases Friday, 165 fewer than Thursday's tally. An additional 27 deaths associated with COVID-19 were reported, bringing the state toll up to 7,381.

The state has vaccinated 10.7 percent of its population as of Thursday, and 58.3 percent of those aged 75 and over.

More coronavirus vaccine providers are coming online in Connecticut as the state continues to ramp up its vaccination efforts. Walgreens, CVS and Walmart are some of the most recent providers to begin offering the vaccine or who will offer it in the near future.

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22 New Cases of Coronavirus UK Variant Found In CT: Heres Where - Patch.com

Dr. Sheetal Khedkar Rao, 42, an internist in suburban Chicago, cant pinpoint the exact moment when she decided to hang up her stethoscope for the last time. There were the chaos and confusion of the spring, when a nationwide shortage of N95 masks forced her to examine patients with a surgical mask, the fears she might take the coronavirus home to her family and the exasperating public disregard for mask-wearing and social distancing that was amplified by the White House.

Among the final blows, though, were a 30 percent pay cut to compensate for a drop in patients seeking primary care, and the realization that she needed to spend more time at home after her children, 10 and 11, switched to remote learning.

Everyone says doctors are heroes and they put us on a pedestal, but we also have kids and aging parents to worry about, said Dr. Rao, who left her practice in October. After awhile, the emotional burden and moral injury become too much to bear.

Doctors, paramedics and nurses aides have been hailed as Americas frontline Covid warriors, but gone are the days when people applauded workers outside hospitals and on city streets.

Now, a year into the pandemic, with emergency rooms packed again, vaccines in short supply and more contagious variants of the virus threatening to unleash a fresh wave of infections, the nations medical workers are feeling burned out and unappreciated.

Over the last year, there have been the psychological trauma of overworked intensive care doctors forced to ration care, the crushing sense of guilt for nurses who unknowingly infected patients or family members, and the struggles of medical personnel who survived Covid-19 but are still hobbled by the fatigue and brain fog that hamper their ability to work.

Researchers say the pandemics toll on the nations health care work force will play out long after the coronavirus is tamed. The impact, for now, can be measured in part by a surge of early retirements and the desperation of community hospitals struggling to hire enough workers to keep their emergency rooms running.

Everyone wants to talk about vaccines, vaccines, vaccines, but for our members, all they want to talk about is work force, work force, work force, said Alan Morgan, chief executive of the National Rural Health Association. Right now our hospitals and our workers are just getting crushed.

Some health care experts are calling for a national effort to track the psychological well-being of medical professionals, much like the federal health program that monitors workers who responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

We have a great obligation to people who put their lives on the line for the nation, said Dr. Victor J. Dzau, president of the National Academy of Medicine.

Celia Nieto, 44, an intensive care nurse in Las Vegas, said many Americans had scant appreciation for the tribulations that she and her colleagues face day after day. There is the physical exhaustion of lifting and turning patients on their bellies so they might breathe easier, the never-ending scramble to adjust ventilators and pain medication, and the mental anguish of telling relatives she doesnt have the time to help them FaceTime with their loved ones.

It feels like were failing, when in actuality were working with what weve got and we dont have enough, she said. We feel quite helpless, and its a real injury to our psyches.

Dr. Donald Pathman, a researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said he was struck by the early results of a study he has been conducting on the pandemics effect on clinicians who serve in poor communities. Many of the 2,000 medical, dental and mental health professionals who have participated in the survey so far say they are disillusioned.

There is a lot of personal trauma, Dr. Pathman said. Many people have been scarred by their experiences during the pandemic, and they will look to leave their practices.

In interviews, doctors who have recently left the field or are considering early retirement said the pandemic had exacerbated frustrations spurred by shifts in the business of medical care that often required them to work longer hours without increased compensation.

In a survey released in September by the online site Medscape, two-thirds of American doctors said they had grappled with intense burnout during the pandemic, with a similar percentage reporting a drop in income. A quarter of respondents said their experiences with Covid had led them to exit the medical field.

Another survey, by the Physicians Foundation, found that 8 percent of doctors in the United States had closed their offices during the pandemic, translating to 16,000 fewer private practices.

Feb. 13, 2021, 6:10 p.m. ET

Dr. Erica Bial, a pain specialist from suburban Boston who barely survived Covid-19 last spring, said she felt increasingly drained.

We put on our masks and come to work every day because we dont have the luxury of working from home in our pajamas, but the apathy and ennui thats taken hold of society just makes our job feel thankless, said Dr. Bial, who works full time despite struggling with the lingering effects of her illness. Its so demoralizing.

Staffing shortages have been especially acute at nursing homes and long-term care facilities. They were already struggling to retain employees before the pandemic, but many are now facing an existential shortage of skilled workers. According to a study released last week by the nonpartisan U.S. PIRG Education Fund, more than 20 percent of the nations 15,000 nursing homes reported severe shortages of nursing aides in December, up from 17 percent in May, a significant jump over such a short period.

As more and more medical staff members fall ill or quit, those who remain on the job have to work harder, and the quality of care invariably suffers, said Dr. Michael L. Barnett, assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who served as a consultant to the study.

Its a recipe for a collapse in the work force, he said.

So far, the federal government has shown little interest in addressing what Dr. Dzau, of the National Academy of Medicine, writing in The New England Journal of Medicine, described as a parallel pandemic of psychological trauma among health workers.

He and other experts say the government should start by making a concerted effort to accurately count medical worker infections and fatalities.

There is no comprehensive federal government count of worker deaths. But according to a tally by Kaiser Health News and the Guardian, more than 3,300 nurses, doctors, social workers and physical therapists have died from Covid-19 since March.

Experts say the death toll is most likely far higher. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counts 1,332 deaths among medical personnel, which is striking given that its sister agency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, lists roughly the same number of deaths just among nursing home workers a small portion of those employed by the nations hospitals, health clinics and private practices.

A number of studies suggest that medical professionals made up 10 percent to 20 percent of all coronavirus cases in the early months of the pandemic though they comprise roughly 4 percent of the population.

Christopher R. Friese, a researcher at University of Michigan, said the governments failure to track health care workers had most likely contributed to many unnecessary deaths. Without detailed, comprehensive data, he said, federal health authorities have been hamstrung in their ability to identify patterns and come up with interventions.

The number of health care worker deaths in this country are staggering, but as shocking and horrifying as they are, we cant be surprised because some very basic tools to address the crisis were left on the shelf, said Dr. Friese, who directs the schools Center for Improving Patient and Population Health.

Jasmine Reed, a spokeswoman for the C.D.C., acknowledged the limitations of its coronavirus case data, noting that the agency relies on reporting from state health departments and that can vary according to the state. At least a dozen states do not even participate in the C.D.C.s reporting process, she said.

Many medical workers who have survived Covid-19 face more immediate challenges. Dr. Bial, the pain specialist from Boston, is still plagued by fatigue and impaired lung function.

The day before I got sick, I could comfortably run eight to 10 miles, said Dr. Bial, 45, who started a Facebook group memorializing doctors lost to Covid. Now I go out for a brisk walk and my heart is pounding. Im starting to wonder whether these effects could be permanent.

Dr. Andrew T. Chan, a professor at Harvard Medical School and a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital who has been studying the pandemics disproportionate toll on health care workers, said his preliminary research suggested that long haulers in the medical field suffer greater health challenges than the overall population. That is in part because they are often exposed to increased levels of virus, which can lead to more severe illness.

Another factor, he said, is that the worsening staffing shortages in much of the country lead many Covid survivors to return to work before they have fully recovered.

Health care workers are likely to experience a greater risk of long-term complications, Dr. Chan said. Covid could impact our health care system for years to come by not only depleting our work force but by impairing the ability of survivors to do their jobs.

Read more:

Health Care Workers Hit Hard by the Coronavirus Pandemic - The New York Times

Here are the latest developments on thecoronavirus pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area for Saturday.

1st suspected variant case connected to Toronto homeless shelter

Toronto officials have announced the first suspect case of a COVID-19 variant linked to a homeless shelter in the city.

In a news release issued Saturday, officials said a COVID-19 case at the Maxwell Meighen Centre in Moss Park has screened positive for a variant of concern and further testing is underway to confirm what type of variant it is.

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Officials said there are eight COVID-19 cases at the shelter and all of those who tested positive or were close contacts have been sent to an isolation site.

Further testing for staff and clients is underway.

Ontario health-care workers struggle with burnout as economy poised to reopen

Bracing for impact, front-line workers in Ontario continue providing care as the threat of a third wave of COVID-19 infections looms against the backdrop of an economy poised to reopen.

[ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ]

Restrictions in Ontario are easing up, and in-person schooling in COVID-19 hot spots, including Toronto, York and Peel regions, is slated to resume next week.

While many people are happy about these measures, some health-care workers say its too much too soon.

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Status of cases in the GTA

Ontario reported a total of 1,300 new cases on Saturday.

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Of those:

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Ontario reports 1,300 new cases, 19 deaths

With the 1,300 new cases of the novel coronavirus reported Saturday, the total number of cases in Ontario rises to 284,887.

A total of 265,893 COVID-19 cases are considered resolved, which is up by 1,434 and is 93.3 per cent of all confirmed cases.

Nineteen additional deaths were also reported on Saturday, bringing the provincial death toll to 6,651.

Provincial figures showed there are 786 people hospitalized with the virus (up by 23), with 287 in intensive care (down by eight), 203 of whom are on a ventilator (down by one).

Just over 14,500 more COVID-19 vaccine doses administered

As of 8 p.m. Friday, 456,947 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Ontario, which is up by 14,506.

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So far, 164,307 people have received both required doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

With files from Katherine Ward

2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Coronavirus: Latest developments in the Greater Toronto Area on Feb. 13 - Global News

MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Mid-South doctor has died of a COVID-related illness. However, he never knew he had the virus and hed been vaccinated.

Dr. J Barton Williams, called a student of medicine and science, went from doctor to patient when he fell ill weeks ago. Dr. Stephen Threlkeld helped treat him at Baptist Hospital.

Threlkeld says the disease quickly went from diagnosis to death.

It was matter of days, Threlkeld said. Just a tragedy.

Williams, an Orthopedic Surgeon for OrthoSouth, died February 8 of multisystem inflammatory syndrome or MIS, a condition usually affecting children and attacking the immune system.

The immune system attacks the body in many ways and causes multi-organ system failure, Threlkeld said. It affects the heart, the gastrointestinal tract and other places.

Threlkeld says Williams tested positive for COVID antibodies, meaning he had COVID at one time, but he never knew it. And he had gotten his second COVID vaccine just weeks before his death.

After rumors that the vaccine contributed to his death, Williamss family allowed those who treated him to do the unprecedented: speak out about his condition.

The family has been incredibly generous and courageous in allowing the details of his case to be put out there for those of us who took care of him, just to try and make sure the facts were out there true, Threlkeld said.

They want to dispel rumors this was a new variant of COVID. Threlkeld says they never found an active virus in Williams body.

It does seem to be in every case we have seen so far to be related to the virus itself, Threlked said. Its a post-viral, sometimes a few weeks later, a post-viral effect. Not during the first part of it.

We asked if the vaccine could not be a protector against this because Williams had already been predisposed to the COVID virus.

Its a very important question. All preliminary, Threlkeld said. We are working with the CDC to see how vaccines can play in all directions. We dont have any data to suggest the vaccine has any affect in either direction.

Health officials are meeting daily to study Williamss rare case. But theyre still spreading the message that everyone should be vaccinated.

The way to avoid this rare, albeit terrible, illness is to get the vaccine, Threlkeld said. The way to avoid it is to prevent the infection in the first place.

He says its something Williams would want.

He would want this out there and the facts. he would want the true facts out there and to have an effect to save other people, Threlkeld said. And you certainly hear his voice in this by saying get your vaccine.

Were told the exact cause of Williamss death has not been determined and an autopsy is pending.

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Memphis surgeon dies of COVID-19 related illness weeks after receiving second vaccine - WAVY.com

DETROIT The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 572,179 as of Thursday, including 15,052 deaths, state officials report.

Thursdays update includes 1,284 new cases and 75 additional deaths, including 55 from a Vital Records review. On Wednesday, the state reported a total of 570,895 cases and 14,977 deaths.

New COVID-19 cases have plateaued and deaths are starting to slow. Testing has been steady with more than 40,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate down below 4.0% as of Wednesday. Hospitalizations continue to decline over the last several weeks.

Michigans 7-day moving average for daily cases was 1,000 on Wednesday -- the lowest since October. The 7-day death average was 38 on Wednesday. The states fatality rate is 2.6%. The state also reports active cases, which were listed at 57,400 on Wednesday -- near the lowest its been since October.

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According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 27 million cases have been reported in the U.S., with more than 471,700 deaths reported from the virus.

Worldwide, more than 107 million people have been confirmed infected and more than 2.35 million have died. More than 60 million have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University. The true numbers are certainly much higher, because of limited testing, different ways nations count the dead and deliberate under-reporting by some governments.

Michigan COVID-19 vaccinations: How to find appointments, info on phases

Coronavirus headlines:

VIEW: Tracking Michigan COVID-19 vaccine doses

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VIEW: Tracking coronavirus cases, outbreaks in Michigan schools

Michigan didnt receive the amount ofCOVID vaccinesexpected from the federal government, leading the state to take some of the first-dose allocation and shift it to those already scheduled for their second dose.

The decision means that some people who have a first-dose appointment set for next week may be delayed.

MDHHS with assistance from MING queried local health departments and hospitals regarding need for second dose vaccines. We are addressing any shortages in second doses in the orders we are placing for shipment next week. About 37,300 doses from the first dose allocation will need to be used to ensure complete vaccination for individuals who are due a second dose, said Lynn Sutfin with theMichigan Department of Health and Human Services.

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Meijer is launching a series of COVID-19 vaccination clinics at stores across Michigan this week, with plans to administer up to 25,000 doses in its first week.

Meijer says the vaccines will be administered to Michiganders 65 years and older who have pre-registered through the companys vaccine registration process.

During the last few weeks, Meijer says it has conducted vaccine clinics in numerous counties throughout the state, administering up to 1,200 vaccines in a single day at some stores. Since its first clinic on Jan. 15, the retailer has administered more than 20,000 doses in Michigan and more than 30,000 doses overall, primarily to seniors 65 and older.

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Health officials say a confirmed case of a highly contagious COVID-19 variant, known as B117, was reported in Kent County on Sunday, Feb. 7.

As of Feb. 5, a total of 28 known cases of the variant have been identified in Michigan over the last month, but the cases have only been reported in Washtenaw and Wayne counties.

The new case reported on the opposite side of the state Sunday appears to confirm health officials belief that more cases of the virus variant likely exist in Michigan, they just have not been identified yet.

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Read the full report here.

Health official say Michigans most important COVID-19 numbers are once again trending in the right direction.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the states chief medical executive, said Michigans case rate is down to 159 cases per million population. That number has been declining steadily over the past 24 days.

The Detroit, Traverse City and Upper Peninsula regions all have case rates below 150 cases per million people, according to Khaldun.

Learn more here.

Michigan youth contact sports will be allowed to resume practices and games starting on Monday (Feb. 8), with certain COVID-19 safety rules in place, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.

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Today, MDHHS is issuing an epidemic order to allow in-person practice and competitions for sports leagues, starting on Monday, Feb. 8, Whitmer said. I know these past months have been tough on all of us, and I know theyve been really hard on student-athletes whove been missing a sense of connection and belonging, as well as many other attributes that playing sports provides.

Under the previous Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order, basketball, hockey, wrestling, competitive cheer and youth leagues were shut down at least through Feb. 21.

Read more here.

Restaurants have been the most hotly debated topic of Michigans shutdowns throughout the COVID pandemic.

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have twice shut down indoor dining, with the most recent ban ending Monday (Feb. 1).

Heres a look at how restaurants have been handled throughout the pandemic.

Michigan restaurants will officially be allowed to resume indoor dining Feb. 1 with a curfew and other COVID-19 safety restrictions in place.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released its next COVID-19 order Friday. The revised restrictions go into effect Feb. 1 and last three weeks, until Feb. 21.

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the order will allow indoor dining at restaurants, concessions at entertainment venues such as casinos, movie theaters and stadiums, personal services requiring mask removal and non-residential gatherings of up to 10 people from two households.

The pause has worked, Whitmer said. The efforts we have made together to protect our families, frontline workers and hospitals have dramatically reduced cases and we have saved lives. Now, we are confident that starting Feb. 1, restaurants can resume indoor dining with safety measures in place.

We are pleased to see the improvements in case rates, hospitalizations and percent positivity that have allowed us to reopen more activities, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. However, we must remain vigilant, especially since we now have a new more easily transmitted variant of this virus present in our state.

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Michigan has released a preliminary timeline to show a projection of when other phases can expect to begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Michigan recently moved into the 1B phase, which includes essential workers like teachers and opens up appointments for residents over the age of 65. Some counties have started vaccinating at this level, while some are still waiting to increase vaccine supply.

The preliminary timeline is fluid. It states very clearly, Dates are estimated and expected to change based on vaccine availability. And vaccine availability is limited right now -- but it should be improving in the near future.

See the timeline here.

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Michigan is moving on to a new phase of COVID-19 vaccinations, including teachers, first responders, childcare providers and residents 65 years of age and older.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday that the new phase of vaccinations will begin Monday, Jan. 11.

We are pleased to move the state forward in the next stage of vaccinations, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive for MDHHS. These vaccines are safe and effective, and we especially want our first responders, teachers and older adults to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The strategy we are announcing today is efficient, effective, and equitable, focusing on making vaccine available to those who have the highest level of risk, whether it is because of where they work or because of their age.

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See the full story here.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is strongly encouraging Michigan public schools to reopen for in-person learning by the beginning of March.

Public schools in Michigan were shut down during the fall due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Their buildings have been closed for about two months -- since the state reported thousands of COVID-19 cases per day in November.

The value of in-person learning for our kids is immeasurable, and we must do everything we can to help them get a great education safely, Whitmer said. Over the last 10 months, medical experts and epidemiologists have closely followed the data and have learned that schools can establish a low risk of transmission by ensuring that everyone wears a mask and adopting careful infection prevention protocols.

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I strongly encourage districts to provide as much face-to-face learning as possible, and my administration will work closely with them to get it done.

Read more here.

Michigan COVID-19 daily reported cases since Jan. 15:

Jan. 15 -- 2,598 new cases

Jan. 16 -- 1,932 new cases

Jan. 17 -- 1,421 new cases

Jan. 18 -- 1,422 new cases

Jan. 19 -- 1,738 new cases

Jan. 20 -- 2,031 new cases

Jan. 21 -- 2,165 new cases

Jan. 22 -- 2,157 new cases

Jan. 23 -- 1,601 new cases

Jan. 25 -- 3,011 new cases (case count for two days)

Jan. 26 -- 1,476 new cases

Jan. 27 -- 1,681 new cases

Jan. 28 -- 1,872 new cases

Jan. 29 -- 1,774 new cases

Jan. 30 -- 1,358 new cases

Jan. 31 -- 1,033 new cases

Feb. 1 -- 1,033 new cases

Feb. 2 -- 1,203 new cases

Feb. 3 -- 1,383 new cases

Feb. 4 -- 1,358 new cases

Feb. 5 -- 1,379 new cases

Feb. 6 -- 1,018 new cases

Feb. 7 -- 884 new cases

Feb. 8 -- 885 new cases

Feb. 9 -- 563 new cases

Feb. 10 -- 915 new cases

Feb. 11 -- 1,284 new cases

Michigan COVID-19 daily reported deaths since Jan. 1:

Jan. 15 -- 29 new deaths

Jan. 16 -- 103 (90 from vital records)

Jan. 17 -- 10 new deaths

Jan. 18 -- 10 new deaths

Jan. 19 -- 41 new deaths

Jan. 20 -- 40 new deaths

Jan. 21 -- 148 new deaths (128 from vital records)

Jan. 22 -- 17 new deaths

Jan. 23 -- 221 new deaths (205 from vital records)

Jan. 25 -- 35 new deaths (count for two days)

Link:

Coronavirus in Michigan: Heres what to know Feb. 12, 2021 - WDIV ClickOnDetroit