Virus Killed 2,021 In Nursing Homes; Whitmer Defends Not Letting Them Bar COVID Patients
Average age of Michigan coronavirus fatalities is 75.4 years
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer opened the text of her 169th 2020 executive order with a defense of her policy of allowing COVID-19 patients to be placed in long-term care facilities with healthy residents.
“From day one, I have taken action to protect seniors from the deadly COVID-19 pandemic,” Whitmer said in her latest executive order that was released Aug. 10.
On April 15, Whitmer issued Executive Order 50, which ordered nursing home facilities to allow admission to individuals with a positive COVID-19 test result. On that day there were 153 epidemic-related deaths in Michigan. This policy has been continued in four consecutive executive orders, the latest being Executive Order 148 issued on July 13.
The executive order states: "A long-term care facility must not prohibit admission or readmission of a resident based on COVID-19 testing requirements or results in a manner that is inconsistent with relevant guidance issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”)." The executive order also says a long-term facility "must not accept the return of a COVID-19-positive resident if the facility does not have a dedicated unit or regional hub meeting the requirements of this order."
As of Aug. 11, 2,021 Michigan nursing home residents and 21 staff members have died after contracting the virus. As of Aug. 11 there have been a total of 6,264 COVID-19 related deaths in Michigan since the epidemic began.
The average age of individuals in COVID-19 related deaths in Michigan is 75.4 years.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.