by Becky Andrus | Jan 14, 2021 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Covering all 22 OAA teams with insight and thoughts on each team from Northern Oakland County to Southern Oakland County.
Thursday, January 14, 2021
My Thoughts.
Written Thursday January 14th at 2:15 PM
As I roam through Twitter. I see the pages of current players throughout the State that were retweeted by recruiting and other basketball sites missing the sport they love and wanting it back.
Many cheerleaders, basketball, hockey, and wrestlers want a season.
I don’t blame them.
The MHSAA has failed and our State Government has really failed these kids.
When Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services director Robert Gordon announced at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that the pause would be extended to January 31st which included the four contact sports.
At least they can practice but they can’t play yet.
I thought the MHSAA would do more to defend these student athletes but now student-athletes, coaches, and athletic directors will be forced to wait.
When I wrote my column I thought the MHSAA would defend the student-athletes along with the coaches and athletic directors whom worked tirelessly putting together a schedule for the kids.
Then Whitmer and Gordon took it all away AGAIN.
I had enough, I wrote to Whitmer on Wednesday night wanting her to address my concerns. She has not responded to me yet.
The MHSAA is no innocent victim. They have put false hope on everyone thinking that there would be a season and a plan but Whitmer and Gordon have extended restrictions time and time again. This has been done twice to the student-athletes, athletic directors, and coaches, the first was when the pause was introduced in November and then again on Wednesday by Whitmer and Gordon. This has frustrated so many involved with these four sports. It feels like a double standard is being played out and that Gordon and Whitmer are playing mind games with the student-athletes.
The MHSAA released the start of the four contact sports season in February but there is no guarantee that it would stick thanks to Whitmer and Gordon.
Politicians and unelected officials like Gordon should not be involved in high school sports period but Whitmer and her administration has politicized high school sports to a point where everybody has an opinion.
Some positive, some negative.
The kids want to play bottom line.
The data and science has shown that sports can be done safely. The number of coronavirus cases has been going down in the State but still there are things that are still banned. The numbers don’t add up.
When is enough enough???
This is supposed to be the best time of the seniors lives but this looks to me like a carbon copy of 2020. Was Michigan supposed to be the standard when it comes to working together??? Where is the transparency in all this???
I’ve also been disappointed in the legislature as well. They have not stepped up to the plate and defended these students or addressed this.
High school sports was never meant to be political, pandemic or not.
To me the Whitmer administration has caused more damage than good.
It is clear that the Whitmer administration and the MHSAA has failed these kids. The false hope given twice to these student-athletes, coaches, and athletic directors. When does it end???
When is enough, enough???
by Becky Andrus | Jan 14, 2021 | Regional News
Gatherings remain limited, group exercise and non-contact sports now open to support mental and physical health
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2021
Contact: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112
LANSING, MICH. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) updated its epidemic order today to allow re-opening of additional activities where Michiganders can remain masked and socially distanced, as this has been scientifically shown to slow the virus. This includes indoor group exercise and non-contact sports. The new order is effective Saturday, Jan. 16 and will last until Sunday, Jan. 31.
“The efforts we have made together to protect our families, frontline workers and small business owners are working. While there has been a slight uptick in our percent positivity rate, our cases per million have plateaued and more hospital beds are becoming available. Today, we are confident that MDHHS can lift some of the protocols that were previously in place,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Michigan is once again standing out as a nationwide leader in fighting this virus, and we must continue working to keep it that way. One of the most important things Michiganders can do is to make a plan to get the safe and effective vaccine when it’s available to you. And as always, mask up and maintain six feet of social distancing. We will end this pandemic together.”
“We continue to make progress in our fight against this virus, and expanding vaccination to healthcare workers, long-term care residents and staff, some essential frontline workers and those age 65 and older is bringing us closer to ending the pandemic,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “It is important that everyone continues to do their part by avoiding gatherings, wearing masks properly and social distancing. This remains just as important, even as the safe and effective vaccine is being administered, to protect those who are not yet able to be vaccinated.”
Previously, MDHHS had identified stabilization or declines in three metrics as critical for relaxing protocols. Although Michigan saw improvements across all three following the “pause” implemented in mid-November, some numbers have plateaued or begun to increase in recent days:
- Hospital capacity dedicated to COVID-19 patients has been in 13-day decline, with current capacity is at 12% for beds with COVID-19 patients. Peaked at 19.6% on Tuesday, Dec. 4.
- Overall case rates: increasing, currently at 266 cases per million. Peaked at 740 cases per million on Saturday, Nov. 14 and declined to a low of 239 on Friday, Dec. 25
- Positivity rate: plateauing; currently at 9.1% after reaching a low of 8.1% on Monday, Dec. 28 and increasing up to 10% since then.
“We are reopening cautiously because caution is working to save lives. The new order allows group exercise and non-contact sports, always with masks and social distancing, because in the winter it’s not as easy to get out and exercise and physical activity is important for physical and mental health,” said MDHHS Director Robert Gordon. “We are glad that we made it through the holidays without a big increase in numbers, but there are also worrying signs in the new numbers. We need to remain focused and continue to see declines in hospitalizations and to bring case rates and percent positivity down by doing what we know works.”
Indoor residential gatherings remain limited to 10 people and two households. MDHHS continues to urge families to avoid indoor gatherings or to pick a single other household to interact with consistent with guidance already released by the department. Families are encouraged to stay home as much as possible to maintain momentum and to protect loved ones. Families are also encouraged to Mask Up, Mask Right, using guidance for what masks to wear and how to wear them.
The epidemic order continues to temporarily pause indoor dining in bars and restaurants, but they can continue to offer outdoor dining, carry-out and delivery. The working plan is to open indoor dining with mitigation measures, capacity limits and a curfew on February 1, but the ultimate decision depends on data continuing to stabilize. Additional details on the reopening pathway are expected next week.
Colleges and universities can have students return to campus for the winter semester and restart in-person courses as of Jan. 18.
As before, employees who work in jobs that cannot be performed from home can continue to go to work, while employees who can work from home should continue to do so. Individualized activities with distancing and face masks are still allowed: retail shopping; public transit; restaurant takeout; and personal-care services such as haircuts, by appointment.
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine.
Please see below for a one-pager on Michigan’s vaccine distribution plan.
by Becky Andrus | Jan 14, 2021 | Transportation
Police see dramatic rise in speeds, fatal crashes during pandemic
Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/7276555-police-see-dramatic-rise-in-speeds-fatal-crashes-during-pandemic
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation about why fatal crashes on Michigan roads in 2020 exceeded those in 2019, despite traffic volumes being significantly diminished because of the pandemic.
Preliminary numbers indicate 1,032 people died from crashes on Michigan roads in 2020, while the number was 985 in 2019. This, despite traffic volumes being down as much as 60 percent in the weeks immediately following stay-home advisories from the outbreak and remaining down around 20 percent through the rest of the year.
With many fewer vehicles on the roads and reduced congestion, experts speculate the open road contributed to higher speeds.
First, Michigan State Police Lt. DuWayne Robinson talks about what law enforcement officers are seeing across the state. As he told WWMT-TV in December, troopers had written 69 percent more tickets for excessive speeding, defined as 25 mph or more over the limit.
|
Later, Peter Savolainen, a Michigan State University professor and expert in traffic safety and traffic operations, talks about the impact speeds have on the severity of crashes. He says an age-old challenge confronts engineers who design roads and safety advocates in finding creative ways to alter driver behavior.
Savolainen also observes that speeds had been rising in Michigan in previous years: “Some of these concerns are exacerbated by the fact that we did increase speed limits across Michigan back in 2017. Speeds have gone up as a consequence of that. Crashes and fatalities have gone up as well.”
Because of the pandemic, vehicle miles traveled dropped an unprecedented 264.2 billion miles during the first half of 2020. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that’s 17 percent lower than the same period in 2019. NHTSA said deaths as a result of crashes fell 2 percent, but the rate of fatalities rose 18 percent.
As the Wall Street Journal observed, “In other words, an inordinate number of people died given how many fewer miles they traveled. It was the highest motor vehicle fatality rate for that span of time in a dozen years.”
Robinson photo courtesy of Michigan State Police.
Savolainen photo courtesy of Michigan State University, College of Engineering.
|
|
|
by Becky Andrus | Jan 14, 2021 | Regional News
The COVID-19 Update provides the latest news and resources to help community partners plan, prepare, and respond to the coronavirus outbreak.
Video: January 13 Press Conference
|
|
Latest News
MDHHS updated its epidemic order to allow re-opening of additional activities where Michiganders can remain masked and socially distanced. This includes indoor group exercise and non-contact sports. The new order is effective Saturday, Jan. 16 and will last until Sunday, Jan. 31.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced they will grant Governor Whitmer and eight other governors’ request and release the millions of doses of the safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine currently being held back by the Trump Administration. HHS also announced they will follow Michigan’s lead, recommending that states open up vaccinations to Americans age 65 and up.
|
|
Take Action – How You Can Help
MI COVID Alert is a free app for your mobile phone. It will help us to notify each other and slow the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan.
Masking right includes wearing one of three options of masks that provide stronger protection: three-layered washable cloth face coverings, medical-grade disposable masks or approved KN95 masks. It also includes wearing the approved mask correctly and having it secured over the nose and face and tightly fitting without gaps.
Vaccination is our path back to normal life and a strong economy. Learn more about the process for getting vaccinated on this page.
|
|
by Becky Andrus | Jan 13, 2021 | Regional News
COVID-19 vaccine update in Oakland County:
Save Your Spot Sign-up Available until Vaccine Supply Increases
Pontiac, Mich. Jan. 13, 2021 – Oakland County Health Division (OCHD) is asking residents to remain patient during this time because of the overwhelming demand for the COVID-19 vaccine. The Health Division has received 7,800 doses, administered about 5,600 vaccines, and scheduled an estimated 17,000-plus first- and second-dose appointments through the end of February. Minimal vaccine supply, however, limits our ability to schedule appointments for the hundreds of thousands of eligible workers and Oakland County residents who are still waiting to be vaccinated. Use the newly launched Save Your Spot link on our website oaklandcountyvaccine.com to help us identify individuals who are eligible and interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. For anyone unable to complete the form, call our upgraded health hotline at 800-848-5533.
“We are asking the community to help us plan for administering future doses of vaccine we receive by completing this new form,” said County Executive David Coulter. “This will help us reach residents and workers who are eligible for vaccination when more doses become available. As we receive more vaccine, we will continue to administer them quickly and efficiently until everyone has the opportunity to receive the vaccine.”
The Health Division is currently vaccinating individuals in phases 1A and 1B of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) COVID-19 vaccination plan who work or live in Oakland County.
The Health Division is following MDHHS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for prioritizing distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to individuals. According to MDHHS, those now eligible to receive the vaccine include:
- Healthcare workers
- Residents 65 years and older
- Frontline essential workers including police officers, first responders, frontline state and federal workers, jail and prison staff; and preK-12 teachers and childcare providers (Phase 1B)
In addition to frontline essential workers, there are over 217,000 residents age 65 and older eligible to receive the vaccine in Oakland County. To receive updates on COVID-19 vaccine availability, register
North Oakland Health Center | 1200 N. Telegraph Road 34E | Pontiac, MI 48341-0432 | (248) 858-1280 | oakgov.com/health South Oakland Health Center | 27725 Greenfield Road | Southfield, MI 48076-3663 | (248) 424-7000 | oakgov.com/health
COVID-19 vaccine update in Oakland County: Save Your Spot Sign-up Available until Vaccine Supply Increases
Page 2
your email address at oaklandcountyvaccine.com or text OAKGOV to 28748. The Health Division phone lines are very busy and sometimes Nurse on Call receives over 20,000 calls per day. Oakland County appreciates the public’s patience. Nurse on Call is available at 800-848-5533 to answer health related questions, make COVID-19 testing appointments, and assist those unable to complete the ‘Save Your Spot’ link.
Currently the COVID-19 vaccine is available through local health departments and local health systems. Residents are encouraged to check their health providers online medical chart or portal as all local health systems are going to start making appointments for their patients once they vaccinate their medical personnel.
- Beaumont Health
- St. Joseph Mercy Oakland
- Ascension Providence
- McLaren Oakland
Vaccine information can be found at:
- Oakland County: https://oaklandcountyvaccine.com/
- MDHHS: Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine
- CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
More information about COVID-19 can be found on the Health Division’s website at www.oakgov.com/covid. For up-to-date public health information, follow @publichealthOC on Facebook and Twitter.
For media inquiries only please contact Bill Mullan, Oakland County media and communications officer, at 248-858-1048.
