Michigan Has Made 'Significant Progress' Amid Pandemic: Report
MICHIGAN — Significant progress has been made in Michigan in protecting communities of color from the spread of the coronavirus, according to a report released Thursday by the state's COVID-19 Task Force on Racial Disparities.
The Task Force’s interim report detailed a number of actions Michigan took to increase protections for communities of color, frontline workers and small businesses from the spread of COVID-19. As of Nov. 16, more than 24,000 tests have been administered in previously underserved communities across 21 Neighborhood Testing sites, according to the state.
The state-operated sites provide COVID-19 testing on a consistent schedule, several days per week. All sites offer free testing, and a prescription is not required for someone to be tested, nor is any form of ID required.
“From the beginning, our administration has listened to medical experts and taken a fact-based approach to eliminating COVID-19 in our most vulnerable communities, and we have seen significant progress,” Whitmer told reporters Thursday during a news conference. “Our work is far from over, and cases and hospitalizations are still rising statewide, but this team remains dedicated to working with medical experts and protecting our communities, frontline workers, and small businesses. Our immediate focus now is holding our progress, flattening the infection curve, and remaining vigilant with mask wearing and social distancing.”
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The state added 6,955 cases of the respiratory illness Wednesday, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 373,197. Michigan also reported 81 new COVID-19 deaths, increasing the state's coronavirus death toll to 9,405.
Michigan reported its highest increase in COVID-19 deaths since April on Tuesday. More than 165,000 people in Michigan have recovered from the coronavirus, state health officials said on Saturday.
From March and April to September and October, the average cases per million per day for African American Michiganders dropped from 176 to 59, according to the report. In the same period, the number of probable deaths per million per day among African American Michiganders dropped significantly — from 21.7 to 1.
But the work is far from over, Whitmer said. Next steps include sustaining the progress made and to better addressing ongoing disparities include closing, she noted.
Some of those divides include the digital divide in telehealth and virtual learning to ensure equitable access for all residents.
Increasing enrollment in health insurance plans by making it easy for Michiganders to find out about their options for affordable care, such as Medicaid and federal marketplace plans, is another goal noted by officials Thursday.
Building mobile testing infrastructure that can also be extended for other health services such as vaccine administration, officials said.
Raising awareness of racial- and ethnic disparities in medical care to ensure that every Michigander, no matter their race, can get safe and quality care in Michigan, was also mentioned.
"Now, while we have taken these and a number of other specific actions that are listed in the report, the big takeaway is that more than any particular intervention, it is the prioritizes attention that our state has placed on reducing these disparities in resourcing and protecting these more vulnerable Michiganders that has led to these outcomes," Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist said Thursday.
This article originally appeared on the Detroit Patch
