Morning Briefing Aug. 26, 2021: Hartland elementary school adopts mask mandate following positive COVID tests, child killed in hit-and-run at Detroit gas station

Here are this morning’s top stories

A summer school student is tested for COVID-19 in the nurses office at the E.N. White School in Holyoke, Mass., on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (Charles Krupa, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Pentagon: Blast outside Kabul airport, no word on casualties

An explosion went off on Thursday outside the Kabul airport, where thousands of people have gathered to try to flee the country on Western airlift since the Taliban seized power earlier this month. The Pentagon confirmed the blast, with no immediate word on casualties.

Western nations had warned of a possible attack on Kabul’s airport in the waning days of the massive evacuation efforts.

Read more here.


Mask mandate issued for Hartland elementary school following positive COVID tests

Hartland Consolidated Schools superintendent Chuck Hughes announced in a letter Wednesday that all students and staff at Round Elementary School are now required to wear face masks while indoors at least through Sept. 6.

Officials say six students at Round Elementary have tested positive for the virus, and 122 students are in quarantine as of Wednesday.

Learn more here.


🏫 Livonia Public Schools is requiring masks for all students pre-K through 6th grade


Police: 4-year-old boy killed in hit-and-run at Detroit gas station

A 4-year-old boy has died after being hit by a vehicle at a gas station on Detroit’s east side.

See the report here.


Half of US workers favor employee shot mandate: AP-NORC poll

Half of American workers are in favor of vaccine requirements at their workplaces, according to a new poll, at a time when such mandates gain traction following the federal government’s full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that about 59% of remote workers favor vaccine requirements in their own workplaces, compared with 47% of those who are currently working in person. About one-quarter of workers -- in person and remote -- are opposed.

Read more here.


🚧 I-75 closing this weekend in Oakland County for surface treatment after tanker fire


Lawyers allied with Trump penalized over Michigan lawsuit

Nine lawyers allied with former President Donald Trump face financial penalties and other sanctions after a judge Wednesday said they had abused the court system with a lawsuit that challenged Michigan’s election results in favor of Joe Biden.

U.S. District Judge Linda Parker said the lawsuit last fall was a sham intended to deceive the court and the public, just a few days after Biden’s 154,000-vote victory in the state was certified.

Read the report here.


Expect to pay full deductible if you’re hospitalized with COVID

Treatment for COVID-19 will soon be more expensive for many people.

At the start of the COVID pandemic, both Health Alliance Plan and Blue Cross recognized the need to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for patients who developed COVID during the health emergency.

That bonus coverage will disappear soon. Not all insurers decided to protect patients with COVID from out-of-pocket costs.

See the report here.


🥡 Ordering takeout online? Beware of fraudulent websites


Mars helicopter completes 12th flight, provides important science

The small helicopter that landed on Mars with rover Perseverance has exceeded expectations, flying for the 12th time on the red planet and capturing the landscape like never before.

NASA’s small helicopter Ingenuity has been flying on Mars for weeks, helping with the science mission after arriving with the Mars rover.

See more here.


Weather: More heat, humidity, storm threats


COVID in Michigan 🦠

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 937,720 as of Wednesday, including 20,161 deaths, state officials report.

Wednesday’s update includes a total of 4,326 new cases and 38 additional deaths over a two-day period -- an average of 2,163 cases per day. Of the 38 deaths announced Wednesday, 10 were identified during a Vital Records review.

On Monday, the state announced a total of 933,394 cases and 20,123 deaths.

Testing has increased to around 20,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate at 8.73% as of Wednesday, slightly higher than the previous week. The positive test rate has been steadily climbing since the end of June, when it was at its lowest. Hospitalizations have increased by 231% since July 1.

Cases are rising again in Michigan. The state’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 1,778 on Wednesday -- a significant jump since the beginning of July. The 7-day death average was 14 on Wednesday. The state’s fatality rate is 2.2%. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 39,500 on Wednesday.

Michigan has reported more than 9.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered as of Sunday, with 65.3% of 16+ residents having received at least one dose while 56.9% of 12+ residents are considered fully vaccinated.

Here’s a look at more of the data:


More Local News Headlines

National and World Headlines

Sports Headlines ⚾🏀🏈🏒⚽



About the Author:

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.