DETROIT (WWJ) - While he says 99% of the city has been "terrific" in complying with social distancing guidelines, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has a few complaints.
At a news conference updating the COVID-19 situation in the city on Friday, Duggan said "it is still a very dangerous time for Detroiters," and he wants to put a stop to children gathering in groups.
"(Police) are seeing more and more groups of 10, 11, 12-year-olds out in large groups," the mayor said. "And I think the most effective way to deal with groups of 10, 11 and 12-year-olds is not the police."
"We're asking the parents and the caregivers: please ask your young people to stay home," the mayor said. "Please keep track of them. The police shouldn't be dealing with them. This is something parents should handle; and particularly coming up on Easter weekend, I'm really asking the parents, the grandparents, the caregivers in the city to avoid this."
Duggan said he knows that children are not, for the most part, being seriously impacted by this disease, "But they are spreading it," he said.
In that same vein, it was also announced Friday that the Riverside Park skatepark on the city's southwest side is now closed because people are not abiding by the guidelines.
"Police are having to make runs over and over to people who are ignoring us," Duggan said. "And so I have shut down the skatepark at Riverside park, we're shutting down the parking area, I am not going to have police cars making the same runs over and over to the same place over and over for the same people who refuse to comply."
All other parks in the city remain open as Duggan said he has been told by police that citizens are other parks are keeping up social distancing; which means staying at least six feet apart from people outside of your own household.
The mayor said infection numbers in Detroit, which remains one of the hardest-hit- areas of the world in this pandemic, point to the importance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order.
"We are making progress," Duggan said. "You've heard statements from the hospitals that the rate of admissions is slowing, and that's true. But what has happened is we've gone from going up a this rate to bending the curve and going up at his rate...But we're still going up, and we have to continue to be vigilant."
Some more updates on COVID-19 in Detroit on Friday:
ON HAZARD PAY — Mayor Duggan says first responders and workers in six other city departments will be paid an additional $800 per month as hazard pay. Those in the police department will be making $5 more an hour, firefighters will get $90 extra per shift; workers in the DDOT, Water, Health and Building and Safety Departments will also get paid extra, Duggan said.
ON TICKETING — Assistant Detroit Police Chief James White said police officers wrote 56 $1,000 tickets for people not complying with the social distancing directives on Thursday.
ON TESTING — The city is ramping up testing. Diggan said medical crews will be conducting 1,000 tests a day at the State Fairgrounds starting Monday. To get tested, you must be a resident of Wayne, Oakland or Macomb County, you must have an appointment, and you must have a prescription. (Learn more about how to get tested HERE).
ON MASKS — The Detroit Police Department has put surgical masks in every patrol car, making then available to the public. "If an officer sees you in public without a mask, they will stop and ask you if you need a mask. You can refuse, but they want to help make sure everyone in our community is healthy," the city stated. This comes a couple of days after a box of masks was made available on each DDOT bus.
ON TCF CENTER — The field hospital at the conference center opened Friday, with 25 patients. Duggan said he expects 200 to 250 patients to be there in the next few weeks, but added that if things proceed as planned and people keep their social distance, he's hoping that all 1,000 beds at the site will not be needed.
ON DEATHS — Detroit is reporting 54 more deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the city's total to 326 over the past three weeks. The mayor says seven of the deaths were reported from nursing homes, calling the infection rate in nursing homes "really disturbing." (See more numbers from the state here).
ON RACE — The mayor said he's "really glad that it's now understood" that African-Americans who get infected with this virus are two to three-times more likely to die of COVID-19 than a white person. "It is really critical in this community that we keep doing what we're doing (concerning social distancing). So, we;re seeing progress, but we're not letting up."
This comes a say after Gov. Whitmer signed an executive order extending her "Stay Home" order through April 30, 2020.
