Duggan: Nursing homes huge concern in COVID-19 fight

(FOX 2) - While the mayor said all trends seem to be going in the right direction, there is a major issue at nursing homes.

Mayor Mike Duggan began his daily update Monday by saying the rate that cases are doubling is now about every 10-12 days. Hospitals are seeing an easing in the number of beds needed to treat COVID-19 patients. On Tuesday, they’ll reach the 10,000th test issued at the drive-thru testing site at the State Fairgrounds. Once concerned they’d have to close parks, officials are noticing residents are adhering to social distancing guidelines.

“If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to win the battle against the coronavirus,” he said.

RELATED: Instant COVID-19 tests to be used for Detroit nursing homes, homeless shelters

But one area that needs attention is nursing homes, a very medically vulnerable population. On Friday, Duggan said there had been 12 deaths. Now the city’s lost another eight people as of Monday.

Duggan said over the weekend, Denise Fair, Chief Public Health Officer of the Detroit Health Department, and her term visited three nursing homes. About fifty percent of residents and staff tested positive at one facility, and 30% at the other two.

Health officials noticed a large number were testing positive before experiencing any symptoms. The city announced they’ll be testing 2,400 residents and staff in the next 10 days.

RELATED: Wayne State medical students to run nursing home resident COVID-19 tests overnight

On Friday, the city announced they would are using the instant COVID-19 tests from Abbott Laboratories because of the serious situation at nursing homes. These tests return results in as few as five minutes. Detroit was given five machines and 5,000 testing kits.

Additionally, Wayne State students are working overnight to run tests for elderly residents who can’t go in for testing.

CITY FINANCES PRESSER

Duggan said Tuesday at 7 p.m. he will hold a presser to address Detroit employees and the city as a whole to lay out a proposal to deal with the city’s finances.

He said the city will experience a $100 million deficit this fiscal year that ends in June and $200 million in the next year.

While the city has about $100 million in the rainy day fund, this $300 million deficit in the next year and a half will affect all 9,000 city employees.

DRIVE-THRU TESTING, DETROIT POLICE AND FIRE UPDATE

Duggan said 600 police officers and 100 firefighters have returned to work. About 180 officers are still out on quarantine, according to Assistant Chief James White.

For a time, officers were pulled off specialty operations so police could attend to 911 calls. Now those departments, such as traffic enforcement and the violent gang unit, are restaffed.

DETROIT PISTONS HELP OUT

The mayor announced Pistons owner Tom Gores is donating 100,000 masks to the city of Detroit. 

In the last few weeks, the city put a mask dispenser on DDOT buses offering 20,000 free masks for anyone getting on the bus, and Detroit police were equipped with masks to give out to anyone on the street who might not have one.

RELATED: Masks to be available on DDOT buses to ensure driver, rider safety

With limited donations, the mayor had said he didn’t know how long those programs could last -- but now the city is receiving another 100,000 masks from the Pistons.

“Glad we could help with the masks and I’m sure there will be more things to come,” said Vice Chairman Arn Tellum, reading a text from Tom Gores.

Duggan said when they were looking for options for a field hospital, the first call they got was from Tellum, offering the Piston’s new practice facility.