MARQUETTE — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday signed legislation that supports the COVID-19 recovery plan she sent to the Legislature in January.

The legislation includes key provisions of her MI COVID Recovery Plan, including a wage increase of $2.25 per hour for direct care workers, $283 million in federal emergency rental assistance to help ensure people can stay in their homes, up to $110 million in federal funding for vaccine administration, and up to $555 million in federal funding for testing and tracing.

“I think it’s great news that we’ve been able to get some of the federal funding available to us appropriated, including passing two of my key proposals to provide a wage increase for direct care workers and increased funding to help expand vaccinations for Michiganders who are 50 years old or older,” Whitmer said in a statement. “However, the reality is that there is more work to be done and there are still billions of dollars in federal funding that we need to get out the door to help businesses and families across the state.

“The bills I received were not negotiated with me or my administration, and I continue to call on the Legislature to ensure that we work together to ensure we maximize every penny that is available. There were problems in the bills that I had to veto, and I expect the Legislature to step up to fix the bill to allocate all of the money so we can get back to normal as soon as possible.”

According to the governor’s office, state budget director David Massaron sent a letter to the appropriations chairs in the House and Senate, asking again for a joint meeting no later than Friday where formal negotiations can occur to get the remaining more than $2 billion in federal funding appropriated.

As part of the MI COVID Recovery Plan, Whitmer proposed $665 million to expand the state’s vaccine and testing programs, and $2.1 billion for schools. However, the Legislature inserted language that “aims to block expenditure of these funds unless the governor signs separate legislation undercutting Michigan’s pandemic response,” officials said in the release.

The governor has called on the Legislature to fully appropriate the more than $2 billion in unused federal funds.

Whitmer proposed fully allocating $622 million for rent and utility assistance, but the Legislature provided $283 million, withholding $339 million “meant to keep families safely in their homes and provide direct aid to landlords,” the release states.

The COVID Emergency Rental Assistance program replaces the Eviction Diversion Program that the Michigan State Housing Development Authority launched in July, which officials say helped around 16,000 households across the state avoid eviction and become current on owed rent.

MSHDA will administer CERA through its statewide network of Housing Assessment and Resource Agencies, which will be responsible for working directly with tenants and landlords so rental arrearages are paid and housing stability is preserved. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/CERA.

Additionally, Whitmer proposed fully allocating $2.7 billion to “help residents feed their families,” but the Legislature provided $600 million, and withheld $2.1 billion in food assistance through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, officials said.

Michiganders can apply for food assistance at www.michigan.gov/MIBridges.

In a statement, Massaron acknowledged that vetoes were needed.

“Vetoes were necessary and now we need to collectively refocus efforts on the best way to get resources out the door to speed our recovery from the pandemic,” he said. “I again encourage the chairs of the appropriations committees to accept my offer to get in a room and figure out how we can effectively align our resources with the need.”

Small Business Association of Michigan President Brian Calley issued the following statement in response to Whitmer vetoing support for small businesses within the budget supplement signed on Tuesday.

“Small businesses have taken an extraordinary toll because of this pandemic and the state’s response to it,” he said. “The overwhelming majority of small business owners have sacrificed their economic health willingly with a high degree of fidelity to government rules and restrictions. They have faced a public health crisis and an economic crisis.”

Calley said Michigan’s approach has been “extraordinarily detrimental” to small businesses, usually far exceeding national norms in pandemic responses.

“Whitmer has vetoed small business support multiple times, even as the state has received a windfall of financial support from the federal government,” he said. “Today’s veto sends a message that the state is not serious about the survival of small businesses. We worked hard to ensure that small business support was not tied to curtailment of any emergency powers because we didn’t want the governor to have to pick between emergency powers and supporting small business. She could have done both because small business support was not tied to emergency power reductions.”

SBAM is asking the Michigan Legislature to override the vetoes of small business support.

Whitmer orders flags lowered

Whitmer has ordered U.S. and Michigan flags within the State Capitol Complex and upon all public buildings and grounds across the state of Michigan to be lowered to half-staff today to honor the one-year anniversary of the coronavirus in Michigan and mourn those who have lost their lives to COVID-19.

Michiganders are also being asked to turn on the lights outside of their homes from 8 to 9 tonight in remembrance of the Michiganders lost.

Variants explained

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health authorities to identify and understand COVID-19 mutations of concern.

The Marquette County Health Department announced that updates will be provided at Michigan.gov/coronavirus as more information becomes available.

The MCHD said the virus that causes COVID-19, called SARS-CoV-2, is known to acquire on average a new mutation every two weeks.

It also said the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories conducts surveillance to quickly identify variants of interest, including B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and P.1. The BOL prioritizes specimens for sequencing when there is increased concern for a new virus variant, such as those from people with a travel history where a variant has been detected.

The BOL also looks for the variant among people who tested positive for COVID-19. The CDC contacts Michigan if variants of concern show up in any sample collected in the state.

The MCHD noted that virus mutations are common.

New variants occur when there is a mutation in the virus’ genes, and these mutations can result in several outcomes. Some mutations might kill the virus, others result in no change and some might result in a virus that has a clinical, virologic or epidemiological difference. Additionally, sometimes new variants emerge and disappear while others emerge and persist.

The MCHD said it is believed B.1.1.7 is the most contagious, but there has been no indication it affects clinical outcomes or disease severity compared with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, a higher rate of transmission would increase the number of people who need clinical care for COVID-19 with the new variant circulating in Michigan. Little to no impact is expected for natural immunity, testing or vaccination, and there is no indication the new variant exhibits any changes in the virus that would impact the effectiveness of current vaccines.

The B.1.351 variant has been identified in Michigan, but less is known about it. Although it might have a higher rate of transmission, there is no evidence now to suggest it has any impact on disease severity, the MCHD said.

The health department said the P.1 variant has been found in the U.S. but not yet in Michigan. Evidence suggests some of the mutations in this variant might affect the ability of antibodies from natural infection or vaccination to recognize and neutralize the virus, but more studies are needed.

The MCHD said when variants are discovered, contact tracing is prioritized for people who have had contact with them. A 14-day quarantine — without the option of ending quarantine early — is recommended for close contacts of people who have been infected with the variant.

Areas where others have been exposed are identified, and target testing and education takes place in those areas. There also is increased and focused testing.

Protective actions that prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the new variants include:

≤ getting vaccinated for COVID-19;

≤ wearing a mask, and a face shield in addition to a mask for more protection;

≤ staying 6 feet apart from others;

≤ washing hands often; and

≤ ventilating indoor spaces.

The MCHD announced that the Bureau of Laboratories has identified a case of B.1.351 in a male child from downstate Jackson County. The case is being investigated and close contacts are being contacted to determine if there are additional cases.

Vaccine doses awarded

The MDHHS and the Protect Michigan Commission have awarded 35,800 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 22 pilot projects to enhance the state’s vaccine equity strategy, according to the State Emergency Operations Center.

The goal of the pilot program is to remove barriers to vaccine access for Michiganders 60 and older who live in communities with a high Social Vulnerability Index and high COVID-19 mortality rates. If providers have additional capacity, they may expand vaccination to include people age 50 to 59 with disabilities or comorbid conditions.

SVI uses census data to identify places where a community might have more difficulty preventing human suffering and financial loss in a disaster. It assesses the extent that 15 known indicators are present within a community based on socioeconomic status, family composition and disability, minority status and language, housing and transportation.

One of the recipients was Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital in Schoolcraft County.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.