FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2021
Contact: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112

LANSING, MICH. Today, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) updated its Gatherings and Mask epidemic order, allowing up to 20% capacity in outdoor stadiums and arenas that establish infection control plans. The update also increases testing for youth ages 13-19 to ensure athletes can safely participate in sports. The changes are designed to balance day-to-day activities while controlling the spread of COVID-19 and saving Michiganders’ lives. Although progress has been made, it is crucial that Michiganders continue to mask up and socially distance as we take steps to get back to normal. The changes to the Order go into effect Monday, March 22, and remain in effect through Monday, April 19.

“The pandemic has been hard on all of us, but by staying focused on acting quickly, following the science, and listening to experts, we can save lives and help our economy recover faster,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Today’s action is an important step towards normalcy, but there’s still more work to do. As always, mask up, maintain social distancing and wash your hands. We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread of the virus so we can end this pandemic together. By April 5, all Michiganders will be eligible for the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is the most effective way to protect you and your family from the virus, and I urge all Michiganders to get vaccinated as soon as it’s available to you.”

“More than 3.2 million doses of the safe and effective COVID vaccines have been administered in Michigan, and we are well on our way to vaccinating 70% of Michiganders ages 16 and up,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “While we are still very much fighting this pandemic and seeing concerning trends in new cases and hospitalizations, we are making these incremental steps that align with CDC guidance. We are again at a pivotal moment in our fight against COVID-19.  Michiganders must continue doing what works to slow the spread of the disease by wearing a mask, washing their hands, avoiding crowds and making a plan to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they can.”

Gatherings at outdoor stadiums and arenas are increased to 20% of the venue’s capacity if the site:

• Establishes an infection control plan that complies with the protocols included in MDHHS’s document entitled Enhanced Outdoor Stadium and Arena Guidance.
• Posts the mitigation plan publicly.
• Sends infection control plans to the local health department and MDHHS at least seven days before scheduled events.
• Administers a testing program as specified in MDHHS’s Guidance for Athletics for all players.

“We truly appreciate the ongoing partnership with the Governor’s office and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.  We are thrilled to safely welcome back the best fans in baseball to Comerica Park for Opening Day and beyond,” said Chris Granger, Group President, Sports and Entertainment, Ilitch Holdings. “As the season progresses, we look forward to continued coordination with public health and medical experts, government officials and Major League Baseball to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for all Detroit Tigers fans.”

“MDHHS continues to monitor the data to make decisions that allow us to return to normalcy. This includes case counts, percent positivity and hospitalizations,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director.  We are making this capacity change along with required safety protocols designed to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.”

MDHHS had been closely monitoring three metrics for stabilization or declines over the past several weeks.  Michigan’s metrics have been increasing for the past few weeks. The presence of more infectious variants, such as the B 1.1.7 variant, threatens our progress in control of the epidemic and MDHHS will be monitoring data closely. In recent days:

• Positivity rate: has increased for four weeks to 6.2%. This metric is up 177% from the mid-February low but remains below the December high of 19.4%.
• Statewide case rate: This metric has increase over the past four weeks to 172.9 cases per million. The rate is up 77% from the low in mid-February but remains below peak of 737.8 cases per million on Saturday, Nov 14.
• Hospital capacity dedicated to COVID-19 is now at 4.9%. This metric peaked at 19.6% on Tuesday, Dec. 4 and is now up 25% from an end of February low.

The Order also increases weekly testing for youth athletes ages 13-19 to safely participate in sports. More information on the program is available on the Michigan.gov/Coronavirus website.

“Michigan’s students deserve to safely enjoy the fullest high school experience we can offer,” said JoLynn Clark, principal of Frankenmuth High School. “That means finding ways to provide in-person instruction along with extracurricular activities, a fundamental part of a student’s life. This past fall, educators witnessed firsthand the detrimental impacts to both instruction and student well-being that comes when we cannot find ways to safely do both. The implementation of the testing program that allowed student-athletes to complete their fall seasons provided much needed closure, and we at Frankenmuth High School benefitted from this program. It allowed us to not only finish the fall season, but also provided opportunities for student-athletes in winter sports. Rapid antigen testing has served as an effective mitigation strategy that protects in-person instructional time and allows students extracurricular opportunities. We know we must remain vigilant in our efforts to mitigate the spread of this virus in schools as we look ahead to and are encouraged by the possibilities for in-person instruction, extra-curricular activities, and end-of-year celebrations.”

And, to ensure consistency with recently issued CDC guidance, fully vaccinated individuals may now participate in residential gatherings with other fully vaccinated individuals without wearing a mask.

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.

Gov. Whitmer launches the MI Tri-Share pilot program, dividing cost of child care equally between employees, their employer and the State of Michigan

March 18, 2021

Media Contact: Beata Kica, 517-614-9773

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the three regional facilitator hub awardees of the MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program (Tri-Share), an innovative approach to increasing access to high quality, affordable child care for working families, while also helping to retain talent and removing one major barrier to employment. Through Tri-Share, the cost of child care is shared equally by an eligible employee, their employer and the State of Michigan, with coordination being provided regionally by a facilitator hub.

“Every parent in Michigan deserves access to quality, safe, and affordable child care, and Tri-Share brings us one step closer to achieving that goal,” said Gov. Whitmer. “During my time in office, I’m proud of the steps we took to make child care more affordable for Michigan parents, including expanding access to child care for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a mom of two daughters, I know how critical child care is, and I will continue working with our partners, especially leaders in the business community, to ensure every parent has access to quality, affordable child care.”

Funded with a $1 million appropriation in the FY 21 budget, the program will operate initially in three regions of the state, and will be administered by the Michigan Women’s Commission, housed within the Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). The three regional facilitator hubs chosen for the Tri-Share pilot are: Goodwill Industries of West Michigan, serving Muskegon County; Saginaw Intermediate School District, serving the Great Lakes Bay Region; and the United Way of Northwest Michigan, serving a five-county rural region in Northwest Lower Michigan.

“As the economy changes, child care must adapt as well. Access to child care supports both present and future generations of the workforce. If we make the investment today, we will ensure the flourishing of the next generation while meeting the needs of working parents and the businesses that seek to employ them,” said LEO Acting Director Susan Corbin.

A coalition of business and advocacy leaders, led by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce and Representative Greg VanWoerkom (R-MI-91), championed funding for the pilot program. “It is a priority of mine to find innovative ideas in addressing affordable and accessible childcare. That is why I am proud to have been a part of an incredible effort to introduce this pilot program,” said Rep. VanWoerkom.

“Child care keeps Michigan working,” explains Rick Baker, CEO of the Grand Rapids Chamber. “Our members tell us child care is essential to having the talent West Michigan needs to thrive. That’s why we were vocal supporters of Tri-Share and additional investments in child care.”

As Tri-Share launches this month, the three regional facilitator hubs will work to ensure a successful pilot phase and partner with the state to work toward long-term sustainability. The role of the facilitator hub is to act as an intermediary between employers, families and child care providers, and to provide overall program management.

Tri-Share is the latest step Gov. Whitmer has taken to stabilize the child care industry and make care available and affordable for families. In her budget recommendation, Gov. Whitmer proposed $370 million for the expansion of childcare options providing additional supports for Michigan families by temporarily increasing the income eligibility threshold from 150% to 200% and temporarily waiving out-of-pocket copays through fiscal year 2022, with a 10 percent increase in hourly rates for child-care providers. Gov. Whitmer also proposed continuing the Tri-Share pilot with a $2.2 million investment.

“Every family wants their child to be safe, happy, healthy and learning,” said Cheryl Bergman, CEO of the Michigan Women’s Commission. “But for too many working families, quality child care is simply unaffordable. The MI Tri-Share Child Care program addresses the issue of affordability head-on by bringing employers and the state to the table together as direct stakeholders. It is a critical step in developing more opportunities to help Michigan women successfully enter or re-enter the workforce and secure long-term economic competitiveness for our state.”

Employees eligible to participate in the Tri-Share pilot must be employed by a participating employer, have an income above 150% of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) and below 250% FPL, and not otherwise be eligible for the Child Development and Care Program (commonly called the state child care subsidy). Participating employers must agree to identify and recruit eligible employees, provide employer portion of each participating employee’s child care costs and maintain communication with the facilitator hub regarding each employee’s continued employment and eligibility.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 17, 2020

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112

LANSING, Mich. – Today, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) updated its Residential Care Facilities Order to reflect recent changes in Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidance for visitation. The state recently rolled out an expanded visitation program, using a testing protocol to keep residents and staff safe. The updated order and accompanying guidance continues to support visitation and improve quality of life for seniors while maintaining precautions to help keep residents and staff safe. Testing is strongly encouraged prior to visitation, particularly in counties with medium or high positivity, but not required. The order goes into effect immediately.

“Throughout the pandemic we have focused on protecting vulnerable long-term care residents from COVID-19, which has required physical separation from family and other loved ones,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “The new CMS guidance provides reasonable ways these facilities can safely facilitate in-person visitation to address the needs of residents.”

Michigan has made protecting the health and safety of our seniors and most vulnerable residents a top priority. The state acted quickly to slow the spread of the virus in nursing homes, followed CDC guidance, secured PPE, provided more than 1.3 million antigen tests for patients and staff, recorded results of more than 650,000 PCR tests and administered more than 270,000 vaccines for nursing home residents and staff. As a result, Michigan has a lower rate of nursing home deaths than the national average, according to an independent study conducted by the Center for Health and Research Transformation at the University of Michigan.

The order continues to require facilities to:

• Make efforts to allow safe communal dining and group activities for residents.
• Inform employees and residents of the presence of a confirmed COVID-19 positive employee or resident as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than 12 hours after identification.
• Inform legal guardians or healthcare proxies for all residents and post a visible notice in the facility, no later than 24 hours after identification of a confirmed COVID-19 positive employee or resident.
• Report to MDHHS and the applicable local health department all presumed positive COVID-19 cases in the facility together with any additional data when required under MDHHS guidance.

“While we are still very much fighting this pandemic and seeing some concerning trends in new cases and hospitalizations, these new changes align with CDC guidance and support families being able to visit their loved ones in nursing facilities,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “We continue to monitor the data closely and urge Michiganders to continue doing what works to slow the spread of the disease by wearing a mask, washing their hands, avoiding crowds and making a plan to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine when it is their turn.”

CMS guidance says facilities should accommodate and support indoor and outdoor visitation as long as the facility has not had a new COVID-19 case in the last 14 days. Visitors will be required to wear face masks or other personal protective equipment when required by the facility at all times. In general, visitors will need to maintain six feet from residents.

The new MDHHS Residential Care Facilities Visitation Guidance covers nursing homes, home for the aged, adult foster care facilities, hospice, substance use disorder residential and assisted living facilities.

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.

March 17, 2021

Media Contact: Lynda Robinson, 313-348-8220

A COVID-19 stimulus bill signed into law by President Biden continues federal unemployment insurance programs which were set to expire on March 13, 2021.

Individuals with claims of any type should continue to certify as usual. Most claimants will not experience a gap in benefits as long as they remain eligible and continue to certify.

Unemployment provisions under the federal American Rescue Plan are extended from March 13 – Sept. 4, 2021:

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides coverage to the self-employed, gig workers and others in non-traditional employment.
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program (PEUC), which provides additional weeks of benefits to those who exhaust their regular state benefits.
• Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PUC), which provides all unemployment recipients with an additional $300 per week.
• Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC), which provides an additional $100 per week to claimants on some benefits programs who have self-employment income of at least $5,000.

The relief package also includes the extension of 100% federal financing for the use of the Work Share program.

“Continuation of these federal benefit programs will provide some financial breathing room to Michigan workers as we continue to fight the effects of COVID-19,” said Liza Estlund Olson, acting director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency. “Because this legislation extends the current federal programs, we expect to be able to implement the changes without a delay in payments.”

Expanded PUA eligibility available:

In late February, the U.S. Dept. of Labor issued guidance expanding PUA eligibility to include three COVID-19 related reasons under which an individual may self-certify. The additional reasons address circumstances when an individual is directly affected by COVID-19 including:

• Individuals who refuse to return to work that is unsafe or to accept an offer of new work that is unsafe (meaning it is not in compliance with local, state or national health and safety standards directly related to COVID-19).
• Certain individuals who provide services to educational institutions or educational service agencies and are fully or partially unemployed as a direct result of COVID-19
• Individuals experiencing a reduction of hours or a temporary or permanent layoff as a direct result of COVID-19.

The additional eligibility provisions apply retroactively to the beginning of the PUA program for those who filed before Dec. 27, 2020. For those who filed after Dec. 27, it is retroactive to Dec. 6, 2020.

Claimants who were previously denied PUA benefits will be notified with details on the new provisions and how to reapply for PUA 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 MI Bridges program, claimants can apply for healthcare coverage, food and cash assistance and more. MI Bridges also lists helpful state and local resources.

Resources for jobseekers, including training, workshops, access to job fairs and more are available through local Michigan Works! service centers. Call 800-285-WORKS or visit MichiganWorks.org

For more information on unemployment programs, visit Michigan.gov/UIA.