Governor Signs Order Closing Indoor Service at Bars

Governor Signs Order Closing Indoor Service at Bars

by | Jul 2, 2020 | Uncategorized

Governor Gretchen Whitmer Banner - headshot with bridge graphic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 1, 2020

Contact: [email protected]

 

Governor Whitmer Signs Executive Order Closing Indoor Service at Bars Throughout Much of Lower Michigan to Protect Progress Against COVID-19   

Governor also signs bills allowing cocktails-to-go at bars and restaurants

 

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Whitmer today signed Executive Order 2020-143 closing indoor service at bars throughout most of lower Michigan to protect the progress Michigan has made against COVID-19. Regions 6 and 8, which include the Upper Peninsula and much of northern Michigan, are excluded from the order, and bars statewide can continue to serve outdoors. The governor also signed a package of bills allowing cocktails-to-go at bars and restaurants to help these businesses serve more Michiganders during this time.

 

“We owe it to our front line heroes who have sacrificed so much during this crisis to do everything we can to slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the chance of a resurgence like we are seeing in other states,” said Governor Whitmer. “Following recent outbreaks tied to bars, I am taking this action today to slow the spread of the virus and keep people safe. If we want to be in a strong position to reopen schools for in-person classroom instruction this fall, then we need to take aggressive action right now to ensure we don’t wipe out all the progress we have made.”

 

Over the past week, every region in Michigan has seen an uptick in new cases, and daily case counts now exceed 20 cases per million in the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Kalamazoo regions. Nearly 25% of diagnoses in June were of people ages 20 to 29, up from roughly 16% in May. That shift aligns with national trends, and the evidence suggests that young people may be driving a new phase of the pandemic.

 

As bars have reopened for indoor service across the country, some have been linked to a growing number of large outbreaks. In Michigan, for example, health officials in Ingham County have linked 107 confirmed COVID-19 cases to an outbreak in a single bar in East Lansing. Similar super-spreader events have been documented in bars in Florida, Louisiana, Texas and elsewhere.

 

Bars are often crowded, indoors and poorly ventilated — all of which make it easy to spread COVID-19 from person to person. Bars also encourage mingling among groups and facilitate close contact over an extended period of time. They are noisy, requiring raised voices and allowing for more projection of viral droplets. And they serve alcohol, which reduces inhibitions and decreases compliance with mask use and physical distancing rules.

 

“I urge all Michiganders to double down on mitigation tactics like wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, and washing hands, so we can get our trajectory headed in the right direction again,” said Governor Whitmer. “If we open up our economy too quickly, the efforts of the last three months will be for nothing and we will have to go through this pain all over again and put our economy, health and medical system at risk. Nobody wants to move backward. Everyone, please do your part, and let’s show the nation and the world how smart we are.”

 

The governor’s order applies to establishments with on-premises retailer liquor licenses that earn more than 70% of their gross receipts from alcohol sales. That means that most brewpubs, distilleries, and vineyards can stay open indoors. Traditional bars, nightclubs, and strip clubs will have to end indoor service.

 

Governor Whitmer today also signed Senate Bill 942 and House Bills 5781 and 5811 into law, which allow bars and restaurants to sell cocktails-to-go and expand social districts to allow for more outdoor seating and areas for people to safely congregate while practicing physical distancing.

 

“Bars will not have to close down completely, but may still offer outdoor seating and use creative methods like cocktails-to-go in hopes that we can bring our numbers down,” Governor Whitmer said. “I am hopeful providing options for cocktails-to-go and expanded social districts will ensure these businesses can remain open and Michiganders can safely and responsibly enjoy their summer outdoors.”

 

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

 

To view Executive Order 2020-143, which takes effect at 11pm tonight, click the link below:
AG Reminds Consumers to Remain Alert for Scams

AG Reminds Consumers to Remain Alert for Scams

by | Jul 1, 2020 | Uncategorized

Attorney General Dana Nessel

Media Contact:

Ryan Jarvi
(o) 517-335-7666 (c) 517-599-2746

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020

AG Nessel Reminds Consumers to Remain Alert for Scams, Price-gouging During COVID-19 Pandemic

LANSING – As Michigan continues to move through the COVID-19 pandemic, Attorney General Dana Nessel remains steadfast in her commitment to protect consumers from businesses and retailers charging excessively high prices for products and warning people of scammers that could potentially steal their personal information.

Since COVID-19 concerns became known in Michigan in early March, Nessel’s office has received around 4,400 price-gouging complaints. Most complaints relate to grocery items, face masks and sanitizers.

Throughout the pandemic, Nessel’s office has taken multiple actions against both brick-and-mortar and online retailers seeking to take advantage of consumers during the public emergency. The rate at which consumer complaints of price-gouging being reported to the Attorney General’s office has appeared to slow down in recent weeks.

“This pandemic has proved to be an opportunity for bad actors to take advantage of people, and from the onset, I have been committed to protecting Michiganders and ensuring predatory businesses don’t exploit public fears during this time of uncertainty,” Nessel said. “My office has remained vigilant throughout this public health emergency in an effort to protect consumers, and we hope the decrease in the number of complaints being filed is a result of that hard work. We will continue to evaluate the many complaints reported to my office and take action on as many targets as possible.”

For the month of June, there was only an increase of about 2.6 percent in complaints filed with the office, from a total of 4,279 on June 1 to 4,391 on June 30. On May 1, the total was 3,756, while April 1’s total was 2,506. However, an undetermined number of duplicate complaints were discovered in late April that caused the total number to decrease as staffers removed them from the system.

While the rate at which complaints are filed appears to be decreasing, the total number of complaints received is substantially higher than last year. In 2019, the Attorney General’s office received a total of 80 price-gouging complaints. More than half of these were against either gas stations or propane suppliers.

Action to follow up on the complaints is taken when possible, though some of the complaints filed this year do not warrant further investigation and, unfortunately, many do not contain enough information to verify the complaints as legitimate.

As a result, consumers are encouraged to file a complaint online with the Attorney General’s office so that the complaint contains as much information as needed to properly evaluate a response.

Some of the actions the Attorney General’s office took to address price-gouging include the following:

Scams 

In addition, Nessel’s office has worked to keep Michiganders aware of several scams arising from the COVID-19 pandemic through consumer alerts and other information, including:

  • COVID-19 Medicare/Medicaid: Nessel warned of scammers claiming to be from at least two local public health departments who were calling residents to offer medication and at-home COVID-19 tests while asking for Medicaid and Medicare numbers for billing purposes. Incoming calls were jamming local health departments’ phone lines, delaying important responses to COVID-19.
  • Door-to-Door Scammers: In an effort to be proactive, Nessel warned residents of door-to-door scammers who may have tried to pose as government officials offering information on stimulus checks, unemployment benefits or other programs and services in place during the  pandemic.
  • Stimulus Check Scam: A consumer alert and press release were issued urging Michiganders to be on high alert for bad actors aiming to coerce them out of their personal information in a federal stimulus payment scam. To steal personal information, scammers were using the news that the federal government would be sending one-time payments to millions of people across the country as part of an economic relief response to COVID-19.

Multistate Efforts 

The Attorney General’s office has also joined or led a number of multistate efforts to protect consumers across the country during the pandemic.

  • Nessel signed on to a letter to Google and Apple June 16 calling for the companies to ensure all contact tracing and exposure notification apps related to COVID-19 adequately protect consumers’ personal information.
  • In a letter sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on April 13, Nessel and a coalition of attorneys general argued that consumers need to be fully protected during the pandemic, and that the CFPB needs to step up enforcement, not back down, as banks and reporting agencies implement the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) and otherwise tend to consumers’ credit reports. A follow-up letter was sent in late April to the nation’s three Consumer Reporting Agencies warning those organizations that the attorneys general will not hesitate to enforce safeguards set in place to ensure consumers’ credit is properly protected and accurately reported.
  • Nessel led a coalition of attorneys general from across the country in sending a letter to Congress on April 22 asking lawmakers to temporarily control the prices of medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The spread of COVID-19 had resulted in widespread shortages of ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) like face masks, gloves and gowns for not only hospitals and health care providers, but also federal, state, local and tribal governments.

These are only a few of the actions Attorney General Nessel has taken to help Michiganders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to view more information on Nessel’s consumer protection efforts and other actions taken by the Attorney General.

Whitmer Extends the Expiration of Driver’s Licenses, State ID Cards, Vehicle Registrations

by | Jul 1, 2020 | Uncategorized

Governor Gretchen Whitmer Banner - headshot with bridge graphic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 1, 2020

Contact: [email protected]

 

Gov. Whitmer Signs Bill Extending the Expiration of Driver’s Licenses, State ID Cards, Vehicle Registrations to Sept. 30

 

 

LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Whitmer signed Senate Bills 876-878, which codify her previous Executive Orders , further extending the renewal dates for driver’s licenses, CDLs, state ID cards and vehicle registrations. Among the extensions outlined in the legislation, those with driver’s licenses or vehicle registrations expiring between Feb. 1 and June 30 would have until Sept. 30, 2020 to have them renewed.

 

“I am pleased to continue to work with the Legislature to codify significant Executive Orders that help Michiganders cope with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Whitmer. “These bills will give Michigan residents peace of mind and reduce the amount of person to person interaction necessary when renewing licenses and registrations.”

 

“We are grateful for the support of the Legislature and Governor Whitmer in our work to ensure essential transactions can be conducted in our branch offices in a way that balances the health of staff and customers with the needs of Michigan drivers,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “We have been continually assessing the safest way to maintain branch operations and this legislation will go a long way toward those efforts.”

 

Many transactions, including vehicle registration renewals, do not need to be conducted in person, and should be done online at Michigan.gov/SOS. Automobile, motorcycle and watercraft registration renewals also can be completed at one of the 122 Self-Service Stations located around the state. Residents needing to schedule an appointment can do so online at Michigan.gov/SOS or by calling 888-SOS-MICH. Advance appointments can be made up to 180 days ahead of time. Same-day appointments become available 24 hours prior to the appointment time.

 

Senate Bill 876-878 extends the renewal dates for certain licenses, state identification cards or enhanced drivers licenses or state identification cards that would have previously expired between varying dates to now be valid until 30, 2020. All of the bills were sponsored by Senator Wayne Schmidt, R- Traverse City.

 

To view the governor’s signing letter for Senate Bills 876-878, click the link below:
Whitmer Signs Bill for Supplemental Funding to Support COVID-19

Whitmer Signs Bill for Supplemental Funding to Support COVID-19

by | Jul 1, 2020 | Uncategorized

Governor Gretchen Whitmer Banner - headshot with bridge graphic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 1, 2020

Contact: [email protected]

 

Governor Whitmer Signs Bill for Supplemental 

Funding to Support COVID-19 Response 

 

LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Whitmer signed Senate Bill 690, which appropriates nearly $880 million in federal funding to support various COVID-19 response actions across the state.

 

The supplemental budget includes a number of provisions that allow assist Michigan in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, help small business weather the difficult economic conditions created by COVID-19, and ensure that workers who put themselves at risk on the frontlines are fairly compensated, including:

 

  • A $2/hour increase for direct care workers;
  • $125 million in grant funding to reduce the cost of child care for families;
  • $100 million for hazard pay for local first responders and $200 million for local units of government;
  • $100 million in small business restart grants;
  • $60 million in rental assistance and eviction diversion;
  • $25 million for wireless hotspots and enhanced connectivity;
  • $18 million for health and safety grants for schools;
  • $10 million in MIOSHA grants for protections to keep workers safe on the job;
  • and $14 million for food banks and domestic violence shelters.

 

“I was pleased to sign this bill to put more federal funding to work across our state,” said Governor Whitmer. “Between the signing of this bill today and the recent agreement on the 2020 budget announced earlier this week, we have now put the full amount of the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund to use so that Michiganders can reap the full benefit of our federal funding. Now, we need Congress to act later this month and provide additional aid to the states so that we can begin to address the budget shortfall in 2021.”

 

The budget funds a $60 million eviction diversion program developed jointly by Governor Whitmer and the Supreme Court Administrative Office. That program keeps renters in their homes by ensuring that landlords receive quick lump sum payments for back rent, while renters get a fresh start, and will be implemented in collaboration with local stakeholders and aid organizations.

 

“We applaud our Governor and legislators for working together to secure funding and create programming for what we believe is crucial to the health and safety of our state – keeping vulnerable Michiganders in their homes,” said Eric Hufnagel, Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness Executive Director. “With this support, our communities will keep thousands of families that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 from the painful experience of eviction and homelessness.”

 

 “On behalf of the 5,000 professional fire fighters in Michigan, we would like to thank Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature for their leadership in supporting SB 690 which recognizes the challenging work of our first responders during this pandemic,” said Mark Docherty, President of the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union. “Our job is to serve and protect our communities knowing that we risk our lives every time we go to work, the hazard pay included in this legislation is a reminder that our elected officials have our back when we do.”

 

“Before this pandemic, child care was one of the biggest expenses families in Michigan face,” said Dawne Bell, CEO of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation. “This legislation does more than provide an additional investment in the early years, it sends a critical message: child care is an essential part of our economy, preparing children for the future and supporting the needs of working families,” says Dawne Bell, CEO of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation.”

 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has galvanized the truth about the stubborn challenge of food insecurity in Michigan. If you are hungry you only have one problem. Your mind is consumed with the toxic stress of what to eat and what to give your kids to eat,” said Dr. Phillip Knight, Executive Director, Food Bank Council of Michigan. “This bill and the relief it will bring helps take hunger off the table for Michigan families. The Governor and her team understand the first step to self-sufficiency is food security, and the FBCM is thankful for our friends in the Legislature who continue to support us and our efforts to serve. Thank you for believing in us and for trusting us with this great responsibility.”

 

“While the global health crisis has been difficult on us all, it has also provided additional challenges to those in domestic violence situations,” said Sarah Prout Rennie, Executive Director of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. “We’re proud of how domestic and sexual violence organizations have stepped up across the state, and we’re grateful that our elected officials are providing much-needed funding to help support shelters that have worked hard to keep their doors open and continue to provide essential services for victims and survivors.”

 

SB 690 was sponsored by Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland.
Oakland And Macomb Counties Support Manufacturers In Providing Critical PPE

Oakland And Macomb Counties Support Manufacturers In Providing Critical PPE

by | Jul 1, 2020 | Uncategorized

Oakland And Macomb Counties Partner With Automation Alley To Support Manufacturers In Providing Critical PPE For Counties’ First Responders, Health Care Professionals And Citizens

Multi-million-dollar Personal Protective Equipment Resilience Grant will accelerate local manufacturers’ digital transformation and improve region’s PPE manufacturing response in future disruptions

​Media Contacts: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, [email protected], 248.260.8466; Steve Huber, Oakland County; [email protected], 248.830.9846; Vicki Rad, Macomb County; [email protected]; 586.469.5065

Troy, Michigan — Automation Alley, Michigan’s Industry 4.0 knowledge center and the World Economic Forum’s Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMHUB) for North America, is the recipient of a $10 million grant from Oakland County and $2 million grant from Macomb County to help each county’s manufacturing base purchase and implement Industry 4.0 technologies that can be used in direct support of manufacturing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

The COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping and accelerating the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector, and Industry 4.0 technologies are leading the way. Oakland County, in partnership with Macomb County and Automation Alley, has created the Personal Protective Equipment Resilience Grant Program to address the urgent need to move Oakland County and Macomb County-based companies quickly into the digital manufacturing age of Industry 4.0 to help improve our region’s manufacturing agility for PPE.

The announcement of the Personal Protective Equipment Resilience Grant Program was made at a press conference this afternoon at Automation Alley’s headquarters in Troy, where Oakland County Executive David Coulter, Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel and Automation Alley Executive Director and CEO Tom Kelly offered remarks.

“It is Automation Alley’s distinct privilege to be entrusted with a grant of this magnitude for the express purpose of further mobilizing our region with Industry 4.0 technologies in preparation for future disruptions,” Kelly said. “We are grateful to Oakland County Executive David Coulter and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel for their leadership in recognizing the need for rapid ramp-up to Industry 4.0 in our immediate manufacturing base and to position our region as an agile, digital-ready essential source of PPE in times of national crisis.”

Coulter noted the county’s relationship with Automation Alley and the role it plays in advanced manufacturing.

“This is an example of Oakland County leveraging its manufacturing might to help protect our health care professionals, first responders and residents,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter said. “We have a long history with Automation Alley and we’re pleased this collaboration will help our small and medium manufacturers obtain the technologies they need to stay relevant in a changing world.”

Hackel acknowledged that this grant will be welcome news for Macomb County manufacturers.

“Faced with economic uncertainty, it is incumbent we develop inventive ways to aid our business community,” Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel said. “With the strategic leadership of Automation Alley, we are leveraging global best practices to position local companies to be at the forefront of technological innovation and workplace safety.”

Oakland and Macomb county-based manufacturers interested in applying for the Personal Protective Equipment Resilience Grant Program can find more information and a link to the application here.

Industry 4.0 technologies for the purposes of this grant program refer to: Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, The Cloud, Cybersecurity, Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials and Modeling, Simulation, Visualization, and Immersion (MSVI).
Industry 4.0 technologies enable rapid and resilient responses to catastrophic events. The following are some examples of their use during the COVID-19 pandemic:

  • Digital factory and MSVI technologies used to model TCF Center in Detroit
  • Additive manufacturing used to produce ventilator parts and molds, and PPE
  • Big data used to assess CV-19 spread, behaviors, and trends
  • Cybersecurity technologies critical for secure contact tracing

About Oakland County

Oakland County is Michigan’s business address, with 66 of the top global OEM suppliers having an office or factory here. Meritor, BorgWarner, Kelly Services, Lear Corp. and Penske Automotive Group all have their world headquarters here. Fiat Chrysler has its North American headquarters here. The county has enjoyed a AAA bond rating since 1998. Our 1.2 million residents enjoy nearly 90,000 acres of parkland, 65 miles of trails, 76 public and private golf courses and 1,450 lakes, rivers and streams and the headwaters of five river systems. We have 32 unique downtowns. Several of our communities have been named by Money Magazine as among the best places to live in the country. Oakland County is where people and technology prosper.

About Macomb County Planning & Economic Development

The Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development supports an environment where businesses prosper and people thrive. Its activities and programs are focused on stimulating the local economy through business retention, expansion and attraction while improving the overall quality of life for residents. The department specializes in providing services to businesses at all stages of development with a concentration on the high-growth industries of aerospace, alternative energy, advanced manufacturing, defense, and homeland security. For more information, call 586-469-5285 or visit www.MacombBusiness.com.

About Automation Alley

Automation Alley is the World Economic Forum’s Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMHUB) for North America and a nonprofit Industry 4.0 knowledge center with a global outlook and a regional focus. We facilitate public-private partnerships by connecting industry, education and government to fuel Michigan’s economy and accelerate innovation. Our programs give businesses a competitive advantage by helping them along every step of their digital transformation journey. We obsess over disruptive technologies like AI, the Internet of Things and automation, and work hard to make these complex concepts easier for companies to understand and implement. Visit automationalley.com.

The mission of Automation Alley is to help businesses stay in business by equipping them with the necessary knowledge to leverage the intersections of advanced technologies, systems and people to jumpstart or accelerate a digital path to strategic success.