Pandemic update: Hamtramck cases continue to increase

By Charles Sercombe
The stay at home quarantine got tighter this past week.
Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that her “stay home, stay safe” police will extend to April 30.
She also added more restrictions.
While essential employees can still go to work, and we all can still perform our essential errands, such as buying groceries, or banking, or enjoying recreational activities outdoors, the stay at home directive now rules out a number of other activities:
o You cannot meet up with anyone not a member of your household, either in a private residency or outside.
o You must remain at least six feet away from people while performing essential activities, such as grocery shopping or getting a prescription.
o Those who are allowed to report to work must maintain social distancing.
o You cannot travel to live in another residence you have within this state, such as a cabin up north.
o For stores of less than 50,000 square feet of customer floor space, they must cap the number of people in the store (including employees) to 25% of the total occupancy limit.
o For stores with 50,000 square feet of customer space, they must close off the following areas of the store that sell: Carpet or flooring, furniture, garden centers and plant nurseries, paint.
In other news, it was announced that Hamtramck and parts of Detroit, Oakland County and Macomb County will now get mail delivered every other day.
The Postal Service reports that it has been losing millions of dollars because of a decrease in handling mail. Also, a number of postal workers have contracted COVID-19.
As of Thursday, the day The Review went to press, the number of COVID-19 cases in Hamtramck was 89, and the number of deaths caused by the disease is 9.
On Monday, the Hamtramck Police Department reported that there were three deaths all at separate residences that stemmed from “natural causes.” This sparked speculation on social media that they were related to COVID-19.
Hamtramck Police Chief Anne Moise told The Review that COVID-19 was not the cause in any of these cases.
“According to all three incident reports, each individual had medical issues unrelated to COVID, and were on unrelated medications,” Moise said in an email response.
“All three were signed off on by a doctor, and released to family members. No medical examiner involvement.”
Michigan currently ranks fourth in the nation with the highest number of COVID-19 cases, with over 28,000 reported. There have been 1,921 deaths caused by it in the state.
The United States now has the highest number of cases – over 657,000 – in the world.
Hamtramck City Hall offices remain closed, but water bills, tax bills and other payments due to the city can be paid via a kiosk in the main entrance of city hall.
Posted April 17, 2020