(WWJ) Bemoaning the latest round of statewide business shutdowns in Michigan, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is pointing the finger at the suburbs.
Speaking at a news conference Monday, Duggan said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her health department "had absolutely no choice" but to order a pause on indoor dinning, school closures and other strict measures as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are surging in the state.
"The governor didn't take her action because she wanted people angry at her," the mayor said. "She actually looked at the science and said 'I'm going to protect the people of the state of Michigan'."
Duggan contends that people in the suburbs have behaved irresponsibly by not taking enough precautions. And while he said Detroit businesses have been doing an "outstanding job" of preventing the spread of the virus, they will now be forced to pay for the failings of slacking suburbanites.
Duggan said in late October, the City of Detroit boasted the lowest infection rate in the state, at 2.5%. Since that time, Wayne County has more than doubled its infection rate, the mayor noted, and Oakland and Macomb Counties haven't fared much better.
"What we were seeing was behavior in the surrounding suburbs (that) in my mind was completely irresponsible," Duggan said.
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"You just drive through any of the suburbs, you're seeing people out without masks. In the City of Detroit, by and large our folks have taken this very, very seriously. And I said at the time we cannot put a wall around our city, but this is the reality of what we're dealing with."
The Detroit Health Department released new figures today showing the city’s positivity rate has risen to 6.8%. Statewide, the seven-day average positivity rate increased to 12.8% for the period Nov. 5-11; during the same period, Wayne County’s positivity rate average was 12.6%; Oakland County was 13.1%, and Macomb County was 17%.
"I've been listening all day to complaints from restaurants in Detroit, casinos in Detroit saying, 'We've done a great job. We follow the protocols, we don't have outbreaks in our restaurants; we don't have any sign of outbreaks in casinos. Why does the governor's rule have to apply to us?'" Duggan said. "But the reality is she has to treat us as a region."
"And what I have to say to you is this; there's no question about it," Duggan said. "City of Detroit businesses are being shut down now because of irresponsible behavior in the surrounding communities."
Duggan also took time to blast an advisor to President Donald Trump for his call for Michigander's to "rise up" against Whitmer's orders, telling reporters that Scott Atlas is "acting like a moron."
So what's closed? Staring Wednesday through December 8, all Michigan restaurants and bars will be closed for indoor service. Casinos, movie theaters, bowling alleys and ice rinks will also be closed, and high schools and colleges will be restricted to online learning.
Salons, barbershops, retail stores, gyms, health care offices and other personal care facilities will remain open.
Moving forward, the mayor urged Detroiters to continue to follow safety guidelines: wear a mask covering nose and mouth, maintain social distancing at all times from others, hand washing and avoid crowds.
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To help ensure the public is safe, Detroit's Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair announced the following:
• Testing is available for any resident at the Joseph Walker Williams Recreation Center, located at 8431 Rosa Parks Boulevard. All that is required is to make an appointment by calling 313-230-0505. Patients must bring a photo ID and proof of residency of Wayne, Oakland or Macomb counties. Appointments are often available within a day of calling the testing appointment number.
• To protect the city’s most vulnerable residents, the Health Department will support testing of homeless centers and nursing home residents and staff. All 25 operating nursing homes in the city will be tested over a two-week period starting Tuesday. Testing also is being conducted at all Detroit homeless shelters.
• The Health Department is providing two ways for residents to report businesses that are violating COVID safety restrictions. A form is available at detroitmi.gov/health or anyone can call 313-876-4000. Businesses found to be in violation will be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.
“Everyone needs to do their part in order to keep Detroit businesses open,” said Fair. “And that means following health guidelines so that Detroiters can go shopping or dine out with a level of confidence that all businesses are taking steps to ensure people are as safe as possible from contracting this disease.”
Fair said that a list of businesses in violation will be maintained on the Detroit Health Department website. She also referred businesses to Detroit Means Business as a source of masks and gloves at no charge to small businesses.
Fair said that K-8 schools conducting in-person learning also will be subject to inspection and possible enforcement. Schools are required to report a positive case within 24 hours.
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