Coronavirus Michigan

An absence of data has hindered efforts to vaccinate the state, as officials have no idea about the racial breakdown of recipients, making it harder to address equity gaps and fix problems with distribution.

With shortages of the COVID-19 vaccine expected for the foreseeable future, people’s lives depend on having effective treatments for the virus.

With many older residents still unable to get appointments, health officials are wrestling with the ethical gray areas of vaccine distribution.

Calumet was once the center of Michigan’s mining industry. These days, it’s grown into a hotspot for an anti-government movement that’s prompted a mask burning ceremony, an armed demonstration, election conspiracies and a caravan to last month’s Capitol protest.

A Michigan Court of Claims lawsuit seeks to overturn a state order barring high school contact sports through Feb. 21 to slow the spread of COVID-19. The suit claims it’s a double standard to allow collegiate and professional sports, but not high school ones.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says the state is No. 6 in vaccines. Republicans say Michigan is locked down. Neither is quite true, but both sides are finding the best data to suit their arguments.

More than 120,000 essential workers signed up for free community college tuition through the Futures for Frontliners program. The state expects to launch a similar program soon for the roughly 3 million Michigan adults over age 25 who lack a college degree.

COVID-19 cases are dropping statewide, but at Michigan’s two biggest universities, new coronavirus concerns have led to campus clampdowns on gatherings.

The vaccine was too late for the Adrian Dominican Sisters who died this month. Yet Sister Patricia Siemen, an attorney, activist and now Prioress of the order, said COVID can teach us about tenderness and love.

Michiganders filled northern Ohio restaurants over the past two months while Michigan was one of the last states to allow restaurants to reopen with some indoor dining. But other states that opened sooner still saw businesses struggle under capacity restrictions and continued fears of virus transmission.

After a rocky launch, Michigan now ranks 20th among states in vaccine distribution. But frustration remains because some counties appear to do better than others and demand far outpaces supply.

The variant, known as B.1.1.7., spreads faster and takes longer to detect, worrying health officials already racing to distribute a short supply of vaccines.

Guest Commentary: The least we can do is recognize EMS in the same way we do other health care professionals on the frontlines.

For more than 10 months, the families of nursing home residents have coalesced around a two-word phrase: “Isolation kills.” The death counts in 2020 suggest they may be right.

The coronavirus has taken the lives of many Americans. We must acknowledge that mental health challenges will claim a similar toll if left unaddressed.

Dr. Arnold Monto, the U-M expert who led the vetting of U.S. COVID vaccines, weighs in on whether the vaccines will stand up to new variants. But he is exasperated by fears that the COVID vaccines cause infertility.

State Superintendent Michael Rice seeks federal permission to drop the M-STEP this year because of the pandemic, but some educators say doing so is irresponsible.

New COVID variants make it more important to observe safety protocols. Meanwhile, Michigan is improving on distribution of vaccines, as more arrive over the weekend. But the governor still won’t explain the abrupt departure of MDHHS director Robert Gordon last week.

From threats of lawsuits to heading across state lines to compete, high school athletes, their parents and coaches are frustrated by not being able to play while bars and restaurants can reopen.

For so many teachers right now, trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine can feel like a distilled version of everything that’s been so stressful and challenging about the last 10 months: Nothing’s working the way it’s supposed to. No one seems to be able to figure out what’s going on. And you’re basically on your own.