Schools tried a bit of everything to keep students safe last year. Some of those efforts are being pared back now as schools and health officials learn more about what appears to help reduce COVID, and what doesn’t.
Robin Erb
Robin Erb covers a range of health issues in Michigan, including the industry of aging and the issues facing older residents in Michigan, a state that is aging faster than most others. She joined Bridge in 2019 and has led investigations that tracked millions of dollars in opioid settlement money and explored severe worker shortages in health care that threaten lives and the state's economy. She chronicled the shock and grief of Michigan families in COVID’s wake, as well as state policy decisions and the triumphs of medical breakthroughs. Robin previously spent six years covering health at the Detroit Free Press, documenting the battle over, and the eventual passage of, the Affordable Care Act and Michigan's Medicaid expansion. She studied communications and political science at Miami University and has a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Lourdes University (Toledo, Ohio). She and her husband raised two wonderful children — but have failed miserably at training their Beagle-Bassets — in southeast Michigan. Reach her at rerb@bridgemi.com.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Costs rising for Michigan COVID care with return of deductibles, copays
Michigan’s largest insurers had waived patient cost-sharing for COVID testing and treatment as COVID tore through the state beginning last year. Now, with readily available vaccines, that financial help is about to stop.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
COVID still isolates some in Michigan nursing homes. It may get worse.
Long-term care facilities had relaxed visitation as the summer opened and COVID cases fell. Some families say the rules are tightening again; a few said they never changed in the first place.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Pfizer vaccine wins full approval. Will Michigan's hesitant take it now?
Monday’s FDA full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is renewing hope that some portion of the vaccine reluctant will get their shot as COVID-19 cases rise. Many businesses are now expected to mandate vaccines.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
How a COVID vaccine rule for nursing home staff could backfire in Michigan
The Biden administration wants to withhold funds for homes that don’t require staff vaccines. But Michigan has one of the nation’s lowest staff vaccination rates, and some fear a mandate will lead more workers to quit, making staff shortages worse.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
COVID boosters likely coming to Michigan in September. What to know.
With the delta variant surging, the White House announced plans to make boosters broadly available by Sept. 20. We answer your questions about who can get them and when.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan GOP eyes limits to vaccine, mask rules. Health officials dismayed
A bill would allow employees to sue if they’re fired for refusing vaccines, while Republican leaders want activists to fight school mask rules.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan recommends masks for businesses, as fears rise of fourth COVID wave
Two months after the state’s workplace safety regulators dropped most COVID-19 restrictions, they’re once “strongly’ encouraging masks but not mandating them.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Toilet water is fouling Michigan’s water. State eyes loans to fix septics.
Public health advocates and bipartisan lawmakers are advocating for new funding to fix the failing septics that leech fecal bacteria, viruses and toxins into Michigan’s waterways.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan schools must teach in-person, get waiver, or lose funding
Even as COVID cases increase, online-only learning won’t be an easy option for schools this year. The policy shift was agreed to by the GOP legislature and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.