Nightside Report Dec. 22, 2020: Gov. Whitmer hints possibility of resuming indoor dining, Detroit Zoo celebrates its first lion born in 40 years

Here are tonight’s top stories

View of Detroit from the Windsor sky camera on Nov. 29, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. (WDIV)

Gov. Whitmer hints at resuming indoor dining at Michigan restaurants

DETROIT – Michigan restaurants are still fighting to resume indoor dining, which is banned by the state’s COVID-19 order, but Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hinted that some good news could be coming soon.

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“My hope is that if people do what they did around Thanksgiving and not travel, and do the right thing and keep our gatherings down to a household or two, max, and wear masks, that we will be in a strong position right after the first of the year to take another step forward,” Whitmer said.

Michigan coronavirus cases up to 466,485; Death toll now at 11,705

Metro Detroit weather: Coldest, snowiest conditions of the week expected on Christmas Day

Our forecast gets very wintry, very quickly with the coldest, windiest and snowiest conditions on Christmas Day.

Click here to read the full forecast.

4 Fast Facts

  • The Detroit Zoo announced Tuesday that its first lion born at the zoo in 40 years arrived on Sept. 10, 2020. Click here to read more.
  • An Oakland County man has been charged with child abuse and torture after a 3-year-old girl was pronounced dead last weekend. Click here to read more.
  • A search is underway for a driver who took off after hitting a Madison Heights officer and leading police on a chase down Interstate 75. Click here to read more.
  • The city of Detroit received its first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine this week, and on Tuesday, Mayor Mike Duggan broke down how it will be distributed. Click here to read more.

Be Informed

Why you need to prepare your dog for after the COVID-19 pandemic

This year, pet owners have been able to spend a lot of quality time with their dogs, but when the COVID-19 pandemic ends, the world will start going back to normal, and that means less time together. While many people are at home and feeling isolated from the rest of the world, animal shelters can’t keep up with demand. But hopefully sometime next year, everyone can start returning to their lives away from the house, and that could be difficult for dogs.

Answering your COVID-19 questions: Does a person need to be retested after they’ve had the virus and recovered

Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge has been answering viewer questions about coronavirus and the COVID-19 vaccines. Information on the vaccines is developing quickly and there is a very good understanding of effectiveness and safety from the trials that were done to secure authorization. However, more information will come out during the mass vaccination campaign.


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Monday, Dec. 21, 2020 --


Questions about coronavirus? Ask Dr. McGeorge



About the Author:

DeJanay Booth joined WDIV as a web producer in July 2020. She previously worked as a news reporter in New Mexico before moving back to Michigan.