Unemployment Benefits program ends April 17

Unemployment Benefits program ends April 17

by | Apr 15, 2021 | Regional News

Unemployment Extended Benefits program ends April 17

April 14, 2021

Media Contact: Lynda Robinson, 313-348-8220

Due to the State of Michigan’s lower unemployment rate, the U.S. Department of Labor notified the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency to confirm that our state’s Extended Benefits (EB) program will no longer be payable after the week ending April 17, 2021. Extended Benefits are available when a Michigan’s total unemployment rate averages 6.5% or higher for three consecutive months.

The EB program goes into effect when the unemployment rate is high and provides an additional 13-20 weeks of benefits for those who have exhausted their regular unemployment benefits and other extension programs.

“Fortunately, with the federal extensions that were implemented on March 27, claimants who were on the Extended Benefits program most likely will be able to receive benefits through other federal programs such as Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), said Liza Estlund Olson, acting director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency.

Michigan has paid approximately $419M in Extended Benefits since high unemployment rates triggered the Extended Benefits program. The Agency has begun notifying the 16,000 claimants currently receiving Extended Benefits to ensure they are aware that the week ending April 17, 2021, is the last payable week for these benefits.

If a claimant who was receiving Extended Benefits cannot establish a new, regular claim, or is not entitled to PEUC or PUA benefits, the claimant is no longer eligible to receive unemployment benefits.

Other state assistance programs are available for Michiganders who need assistance with making ends meet. Through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, claimants can apply for healthcare coverage, food and cash assistance and other assistance program as well as find other helpful state and local resources through the MI Bridges.

Michiganders looking for employment are encouraged to visit Pure Michigan Talent Connect at MiTalent.org for a listing of more than 77,000 available jobs. The Michigan Works! system has service centers across Michigan with free job search resources including workshops, virtual job fairs, or career exploration and training. Call 800-285-WORKS (9675) or go online to MichiganWorks.org.

DNR: team aids vaccination effort at Ford Field

DNR: team aids vaccination effort at Ford Field

by | Apr 15, 2021 | Recreation

Centennial banner

– Showcasing the DNR –
A line is shown at Ford Field of people waiting for their chance to be vaccinated.NOTE: This is an updated version of the Showcasing the DNR story issued earlier this morning. This version clarifies some details related to the rollout of the mass vaccine operation.

Incident management team aids vaccination effort at Ford Field

By KATHLEEN LAVEY
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

A massive effort to vaccinate people in the Detroit area against COVID-19 rolled out recently with mobile clinics and a clinic at Ford Field, where the Detroit Lions play football.

The effort, now inoculating thousands daily, has gotten up and running with an assist from people who are used to jumping in and helping at a moment’s notice – members of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources incident management teams.

Following strict protocols, known as the incident command system, the teams help coordinate what’s happening on the ground, whether it’s a forest fire, a disaster like the historic 2018 flooding in Houghton County or even helping set up a medical site in case of emergency at the presidential inauguration in January.

People go into booths to be vaccinated at Ford Field in Detroit“We organize everything so people can function in the roles they need to function in,” said Jennifer Burnham, a DNR forester who has a decade of experience on incident management teams. She’s in planning, which means daily briefings about what’s going on and what’s happening next, as well as overseeing mapping and tracking of resources.

Ford Field hadn’t yet been chosen as the vaccination site when the first DNR team was recruited to help the Michigan State Police, the State Emergency Operations Center and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services set up a mass vaccination operation.

“All the partners involved had the forethought to set this up as seamlessly as possible and still practice COVID-19 mitigation,” said Mike Janisse, a DNR forest fire supervisor, who led the first incident management team to work on the project.

His group, which included Burnham, was called into action Feb. 24 and arrived at Ford Field March 4. They rotated out team members March 13, and a new DNR team led by Brian Mensch rotated in March 14. A third team took over March 28 and has now concluded its work. At this point, it has not been determined whether a fourth team will be sent to Ford Field.

Mensch’s team was previously called into action last April at Detroit’s TCF Center to set up a field hospital with the capacity for hundreds of COVID-19 patients if area hospitals were full.

Everyone contributing their own area of expertise is key in an emergency management situation, Janisse said.
People go into booth at Ford Field in Detroit to receive their coronavirus vaccines.“It is amazing how, if we follow the process, we can tackle any type of incident,” he said.

For example, DNR mapping experts Corey Luoto and Holly Reed developed dashboards to track the number of vaccinations taking place and other data required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“They are wizards,” Janisse said. “It is amazing what they can do to organize this information in a useful way.”

Besides tracking data, the teams have been responsible for tracking personal protection equipment such as masks, gloves and gowns, and ordering supplies as needed to make sure the people who are administering the vaccine have everything they need.

“One issue might be that we don’t have enough wheelchairs at a certain location to meet the needs for people who might require a wheelchair, so we would order more of them for that facility,” Janisse said.

There are four incident management teams in the state: two in the Upper Peninsula and two in the Lower Peninsula. About 45 people are dedicated to the teams year-round.

Team members get training and qualifications through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and western fire assignments. There also are several team members who are part of multistate teams, which allow them to assist on western fires each year. Since large fires are relatively rare in Michigan, being part of these other teams allows Michigan members to keep up their qualifications and get more experience so they can be effective when something does happen in Michigan.

Assignments such as the inauguration, the TCF Center hospital and Ford Field vaccination clinic are relatively new for the incident management teams. Legislation was changed in 2018 to allow the teams to become involved in natural disasters and events beyond wildfires.

Teams can vary in size. Some have a half-dozen members; others have many more depending on the incident. They most often include a leader, public information officer, liaison to work with other organizations, and people with planning, logistics and operations expertise.

All of them are necessary to a smooth operation, Janisse said.

“My saying to the team is, it doesn’t matter if they’re communications, logistics or safety, they’re never a ‘just,’ such as ‘just logistics,’” he said. “Everybody brings value to the team for its success, and that’s how we make the world go around.”

Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories in our archive at Michigan.gov/DNRStories. To subscribe to upcoming Showcasing articles, sign up for free email delivery at Michigan.gov/DNR.

/Note to editors: Contact: John Pepin, Showcasing the DNR series editor, 906-226-1352. Accompanying photos and a text-only version of this story are available below for download. Caption information follows. Credit Michigan Department of Natural Resources, unless otherwise noted.

Text-only version-Showcasing Extra Story-IMT Detroit

Ford: An overview of Ford Field in Detroit is shown. The field is currently being used as a vaccine clinic for the coronavirus.

Line: People line up for their turn to get vaccinated at Ford Field in Detroit.

Vaccines and Vaccines-2: People wait to go into booths at Ford Field in Detroit to be vaccinated against the coronavirus./
DNR COVID-19 RESPONSE: For details on affected DNR facilities and services, visit this webpage. Follow state actions and guidelines at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus.
Ongoing bridge work requires closing I-75

Ongoing bridge work requires closing I-75

by | Apr 15, 2021 | Transportation

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021

 

CONTACT: Rob Morosi, MDOT Office of Communications, 248-483-5107, [email protected]

 

Reminder: Ongoing bridge work requires closing I-75

this weekend in Oakland County

 

Fast facts:

– Both directions of I-75 will be closed between I-696 and M-102 (8 Mile Road) starting at 11 p.m. Friday and ending by 5 a.m. Monday.  

– During the closure, all traffic will be detoured to M-1 (Woodward Avenue).

– 14 Mile Road closes under I-75 Friday morning for ongoing interchange work.     

 

April 14, 2021 — Weather permitting, overpass replacement will require both directions of I-75 to be closed between M-102 (8 Mile Road) and I-696. The weekend closure is needed to allow crews to safely set bridge beams on the Highland Avenue pedestrian bridge in the city of Hazel Park.

The weekend closure will begin at 11 p.m. Friday, April 16, and ends by 5 a.m. Monday, April 19. In addition, both directions of I-75 will be down to one lane between I-696 and 14 Mile Road.

Prior to both freeway closures, crews will begin closing ramps at 9 p.m. and start freeway lane closures at 10 p.m. All ramps to northbound I-75 will be closed from Davison Freeway to 9 Mile Road. All ramps to southbound I-75 will be closed from 14 Mile to 9 Mile roads.

During the closure, northbound I-75 traffic will be detoured west on 8 Mile Road to northbound M-1 (Woodward Avenue), then eastbound I-696 back to northbound I-75. Southbound I-75 traffic will use westbound I-696 to southbound M-1, then eastbound 8 Mile Road back to southbound I-75.

Further north, both directions of 14 Mile Road under I-75, and all interchange ramps, will close for work on the diverging diamond interchange. The closure begins at 7 a.m. Friday, April 16, and ends at 5 p.m. on Monday, April 19. Upon opening 14 Mile Road and all ramps, the left lane on both eastbound and westbound 14 Mile Road will remain closed through mid-summer as crews await equipment arrival needed to complete the required signal installation.

Follow I-75 modernization progress on the web at www.Modernize75.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Modernize75 or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Modernize75.
expanding the use of monoclonal antibody therapy

expanding the use of monoclonal antibody therapy

by | Apr 14, 2021 | Regional News

header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 14, 2021

Media Contact: [email protected]

 

Michigan expanding the use of monoclonal antibody therapy in the fight against COVID-19

 

Therapy can help reduce symptoms in patients and risk of hospitalization and death

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced today the state is working to expand the use of a medical intervention designed to significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19. This involves additional doses of monoclonal antibodies being made available to providers and requests to providers to expand the number of infusion sites in the state.

 

“We are using every mitigation strategy, every medication, and every treatment option to fight the virus here in Michigan,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “These antibody treatments could keep you out of the hospital and save your life, and my administration and I will continue working with the federal government to make sure we are using all the tools in our toolbox to keep you and your family safe and get back to normal sooner.”

 

Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) are laboratory-produced molecules that can restore, enhance or mimic the immune system’s attack on cells. mAb targets different parts of the virus and prevents it from bonding with cells in the body, effectively neutralizing it. Clinical trials have shown promising data that this therapy works for the treatment of COVID-19 in patients who are at high risk for progressing to severe symptoms and/or hospitalization, including older Michiganders. To date, preliminary data suggests more than 6,600 Michiganders have received this treatment with 65% reporting feeling better with two days of treatment and less than 5% of them requiring hospitalization following treatment.

 

“When administered to non-hospitalized patients within 10 days of symptom onset, monoclonal antibodies may reduce symptoms and the risk of hospitalizations and emergency room visits associated with the virus,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “Michiganders who contract COVID-19 should ask their health care providers about receiving this treatment and I urge providers to assess if their patients qualify. We have seen successful use of this therapy in long-term care facilities and even in home use by EMS providers. This therapy can help save the lives of more Michigan residents as we work to vaccinate 70% of Michiganders age 16 and older with the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible.”

 

“We have been treating patients with monoclonal antibodies over the last five months and we can attest to its success,” said Adnan Munkarah, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Henry Ford Health System. “This treatment has the potential not only to help patients who are suffering from the severe effects of COVID-19, but also to ease the burden on our hospitals and caregivers. At the same time, we must stay vigilant by getting vaccinated and following the safety measures we have in place.”

 

The therapy has been used successfully to help address COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities in the state and to treat patients at home. This has included a 33-patient nursing home in Wayland in January, a senior care facility in Cass County in December and a veteran’s home in Grand Rapids in December. In seven long-term care facility outbreaks, 120 vulnerable patients with high mortality rates were treated with mAb. Only three of those patients needed to be hospitalized with one death.

 

Michigan was also one of the first states in the nation to issue an EMS protocol to allow paramedics to administer this medication to further increase access. In St. Clair County, Tri-Hospital EMS treated 50 patients at home over a nine-day period. The state is also using EMS to provide paratransit or ambulance transport to infusion clinics for patients who don’t have access to transportation.

 

The therapy is administered through an intravenous infusion and is designed for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have mild to moderate symptoms. It is not intended for hospitalized patients. These treatments are allowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under an Emergency Use Authorization. According to the FDA, mAb therapy is effective against the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant, the predominant form of COVID currently seen in Michigan.

The National Institutes of Health recently recommended that patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of worsening disease should be treated with combination therapy — either Lilly or Regeneron.

 

Michigan continues to monitor and track patients within 14 days of COVID-19 antibody treatment administration to assess the impact of COVID-19 antibody treatments on the state’s COVID-19 hospitalization rate. Additionally, the state is now conducting follow-up phone interviews conducted by volunteer medical and pharmacy students to more effectively assess patient response to mAb.

 

Additional information on monoclonal antibody therapy can be found at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Combating COVID website and Michigan.gov/COVIDTherapy.

Michigan residents seeking more information about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine. Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.      
$4 million investment in Clean Slate Pilot program

$4 million investment in Clean Slate Pilot program

by | Apr 14, 2021 | Regional News

1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 14, 2021

MEDIA CONTACT: Mike Murray, 517-275-1820

 

 

$4 million investment in Clean Slate Pilot program launched to assist returning citizens with setting aside a conviction

Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity awards funds to Michigan Works! Agencies to support local expungement efforts  

 

LANSING, Mich. – Over the coming months, returning citizens can get help with expunging eligible convictions from their criminal record to aid them in their pursuit of full-time, self-sufficient employment thanks to a $4M investment in the Clean Slate Pilot program from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO).

 

“My goal since day one of taking office has been to build fundamental reforms to make our communities safer and improve the people’s outcomes going through our criminal justice system. The bipartisan Clean Slate legislation fundamentally changed Michigan’s criminal history expungement laws, for the better,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “The Clean Slate Pilot program offers a stop-gap for expungement services until the Clean Slate law goes into effect in 2022. We’re excited to get to work. Soon Michiganders will be able to feel the real changes that will come about from this program.”

 

Setting aside a conviction, sometimes called expungement of criminal records, will remove a specific conviction from a public criminal record. If returning citizens get an order setting aside their conviction, they can legally state on any job or school application that they have never been convicted of or arrested for that crime. They will also be able to state that they have not been convicted of that crime on applications for public benefits, housing or employment.

 

“Before this legislation and this pilot program, there were many barriers in place for returning citizens,” Susan Corbin, LEO Director said. “These barriers to seeking criminal record expungement include a lack of information, time constraints, cost of retaining a private attorney and fear of the criminal justice system. With the Clean Slate Pilot program, Michigan Works! Agencies will help these citizens overcome many of these barriers and guide them on a path to success.”

 

The Clean Slate Pilot Program funding will be awarded to all 16 Michigan Works! Agencies (MWAs) throughout the state with each of the agencies providing localized efforts.

 

“Before this legislation, just under 7% of eligible individuals pursued an expungement,” said Shamar Herron, Executive Director, Michigan Works! Southeast. “We know how important equitable access to expungements are for job seekers. According to a University of Michigan Study, after having a record expunged, job seekers obtained employment at an increase of 11% and their income rose by 25% in two years. Michigan Works! Agencies and the Clean Slate Pilot program will help job seekers overcome many barriers and guide them on a path to success, while providing support to area businesses by increasing the number of available workers, adding to the talent pool.”

 

To be eligible for assistance through the Clean Slate Pilot Program, the potential participant’s criminal record must have:

  • No more than one felony conviction.
  • No more than two misdemeanor convictions.
  • No traffic offenses, such as operating while intoxicated.
  • Been at least five years since the date of conviction, release from incarceration, or discharge of probation or parole.

All MWAs will have localized Clean Slate Pilot Program processes in place. For more information, visit MichiganWorks.org or call 800-285-9675.