DETROIT (AP) - A man in his 50s who had COVID-19 died Wednesday at a Detroit-area hospital, the first death in Michigan linked to the coronavirus with more likely to follow, officials said.
The man who died also had other underlying health conditions, according to Beaumont Health.
“Our medical team went to extraordinary efforts to care for this patient and we are deeply saddened by his passing and empathize with his family,” chief nursing officer Susan Grant said.
Meanwhile, fears of the coronavirus slammed Michigan’s flagship industry as Detroit’s three automakers agreed to close all factories in North America. The U.S. and Canada also agreed to temporarily close their shared border to nonessential travel, although trucks carrying goods between the countries are exempt.
Michigan has four border crossings in Detroit, Port Huron and Sault Ste. Marie. Canada relies on the U.S. for 75% of its exports.
General Motors, Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler said they were suspending factory operations through at least the end of March. The United Auto Workers has been pushing for factories to close because their members are fearful of coming into contact with the virus.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
Michigan reported at least 80 COVID-19 cases in 15 counties, with more than half of them in Wayne and Oakland, during its daily online update Wednesday. But the state’s medical executive subsequently told reporters that there were at least 30 additional cases.
“We expect more fatalities,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said.
Beaumont Health, which has eight hospitals, is treating dozens of people, said Dr. Nick Gilpin, an infectious disease specialist.
Gilpin warned that “testing facilities are being overrun” and said testing isn’t always necessary, especially for people who might have the coronavirus but no serious complications. He said the remedy would be the same: self-isolation, hand washing and “all the usual stuff.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer acknowledged the auto plant closings and also signed an order stopping home foreclosures due to unpaid taxes until the crisis is over. Separately, the state’s unemployment agency said it has received more than five times as many aid applications than the typical volume.
The governor didn’t directly answer when asked if she felt GM, Ford and FCA shut down quickly enough in response to the coronavirus.
“We know that they are grappling with a lot of the same challenges and questions that we all are - everyone who is responsible for a big workforce - and the factory setting is a unique setting,” Whitmer said.
Late Wednesday, she issued an order relaxing licensing rules so employers and schools can quickly create “disaster relief” child care centers during an emergency that has closed schools for weeks and potentially longer. The facilities would have to do a health evaluation of everyone entering. Priority for slots would go to certain employees - those who work in health care, law enforcement, corrections, manufacturing, mass transit, groceries and others deemed “essential.”
The Berrien County health department urged people to self-quarantine or check for symptoms if they had close contact with popular Christian singer Sandi Patty, who said she tested positive. She performed at Andrews University on March 8 and hosted “several individuals for a special in-person experience after the concert.”
In Detroit, buses were back on the road, a day after drivers stayed home because of virus fears. Rides are free and passengers enter and exit through the side-rear door, steps that greatly limit contact with drivers. An average of 85,000 people ride the buses each day.
“I feel comfortable now,” said driver Wayne Clayton, who wears a mask.
Detroit police Chief James Craig said he’s urging officers to ease up on misdemeanor arrests or tickets to prevent the spread of the virus and reduce stress among residents.
“Many have been furloughed from their jobs; there’s a loss of pay,” Craig said. “So when you talk about issuing citations, making minor arrests, those things have financial implications.”
Busch’s, a grocery chain in southeastern Michigan, made an urgent plea for more workers.
“The response by the public for groceries and paper products has been overwhelming and unexpected in such a short amount of time,” spokesman Todd Robinson said.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Associated Press writer David Eggert contributed to this report from Lansing, Mich.
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