CDC

Watch Flashpoint every Sunday at 10 a.m. on Local 4 News.

Ford Motor Company employees and visitors will once again be required to wear face masks at facilities that are in regions identified as having a high COVID risk, officials said Saturday.

Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day.

Oakland County is now categorized as having a “high” level of COVID transmission, prompting health officials to release recommendations for masking, testing, and quarantining.

Washtenaw County is once again categorized as a high risk area for COVID spread.

Several Metro Detroit counties have been upgraded to a “high” COVID-19 risk category and are being urged to practice mask wearing in public by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As COVID-19 cases climb back up in Michigan, the CDC is once again recommending everyone in Metro Detroit to mask up indoors and take the necessary precautions.

The disease is now the #3 leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the CDC.

A person in a mask approaches the New York Twitter offices after they announced they will close their re-opened offices effective immediately in response to updated CDC guidelines during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., July 29, 2021. Twitter is pausing most hiring this week as two executives are leaving the company, a spokesperson confirmed on Thursday. The news comes as billionaire Elon Musk seeks to complete his $44 billion deal to buy the company and take it private. Head of consumer Kayvon Beykpour and revenue product lead Bruce Falck are leaving the company, the spokesperson confirmed. Reuters earlier reported that CEO Parag Agrawal told employees the news in an email.

After a period of decreased coronavirus spread, COVID cases are starting to rise in some regions across the U.S. and the world -- including in some parts of Michigan.

About 90% of the children were hospitalized, 15% needed liver transplants and 5 children have died.

The CDC is looking into the deaths of five children linked to the growing number of mysterious hepatitis cases in children.

Michigan health officials have identified two possible cases of hepatitis in children. The two cases are in Oakland County and Detroit, they said.

U.S. health officials are restating their recommendation that Americans wear masks on planes, trains and buses, despite a court ruling last month that struck down a national mask mandate on public transportation.

In Washington, President Biden is slated to talk by phone with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Migration is expected to be high on the agenda.

The documents offer new details about how the White House delivered on the priorities of religious communities that were key to the president’s base.

Health officials said the H5N1 flu is unlikely to spread to other people.

Health officials said the H5N1 flu is unlikely to spread to other people.

Fauci, 81, said everyone has to make decisions for themselves, and what is right for him may not apply to everyone else.

Fauci, 81, said everyone has to make decisions for themselves, and what is right for him may not apply to everyone else.

A child has now died from a mysterious outbreak of hepatitis that’s affecting children around the world, health officials said.

Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the United States.

The president's chief medical adviser criticized the "disturbing" decision by "a judge with no experience in public health."

It will be hard to determine how many of those 400,000 children are up-to-date on their required shots.

The University of Michigan has released an analysis that firearms are now the leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States.

Several committee members said boosting people every four to six months in an effort to prevent Covid infection is not an achievable public health goal.

Earlier this year, the CDC estimated that 43% of Americans have had COVID.

The World Health Organization has issued a global alert to be on the lookout for mysterious cases of hepatitis occurring in children.

With the mutations of Omicron now making up more than 90 percent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., travelers in the country were suddenly informed that a c

You can track COVID-19 spread levels and case rates by Michigan county with an interactive map.

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Masks are no longer required to ride on public buses in Kalamazoo County after a federal judge threw out a mandate from the CDC. Effective Tuesday, April 19, masks are no longer required on Metro buses, Metro Connect and in Metro facilities, the Kalamazoo Metro Transit said in a press release. The policy change came after a federal judge in Florida voided the national mask mandate covering airplanes and other public transportation Monday, April 18. The Transportation Security Administration is no longer enforcing masks on public transportation, K Metro said. “Wearing a mask on public transportation in Kalamazoo County will be decided by the individual rider,” the release said.

Some airlines have dropped mask enforcement on planes after a federal judge voided the national requirement for public transportation, but some Chicago-area transit agencies say they're still requiring riders to mask up. Here's what to know.

Cases are up slightly nationally, but they appear to be less severe, with deaths and hospitalizations still dropping.

The CDC continues to recommend masks on mass transportation, though it won't be enforced.

A federal judge in Florida, appointed by Donald Trump, says the CDC exceeded its authority.

HPAI continues to spread within Washtenaw County bird populations and around Michigan.

U-M officials are urging community members to stay vigilant as the BA.2 variant spreads on campus.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services urges sexually active Michiganders to do their part and make testing for STIs a part of their regular health routine.

A study in The Lancet projects 1.2 million more Americans could die of overdose by the end of this decade.

The CDC shifts Washtenaw County's community COVID risk from "low" to "medium" following an increase in cases.

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Following an uptick in reported COVID-19 cases in the area, Washtenaw County became the only county in Michigan to move to “medium” on a federal tool gauging several key COVID-19 transmission metrics across the country on Thursday, April 7. Read more: Washtenaw, Oakland counties see big case bump: Michigan COVID data for Thursday, April 7That’s primarily to blame for the county moving up on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Community Levels map, according to Washtenaw County Health Department spokesperson Susan Ringler-Cerniglia. “The thing we’re really focused on is what we are seeing in terms of severe illness,” she said. Hospitalizations remain relatively low in Washtenaw County, especially in comparison to a wave driven by the omicron variant that had Michigan Medicine officials sounding the alarm in January. In the meantime, local health officials have started administering second booster shots to eligible individuals after the federal government opened the door to the possibility in late March.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tested positive for COVID-19, her spokesman says.

Mayor Mike Duggan tested positive for COVID-19 and is now working from home for the time being. His case comes as public health officials keep a close eye on the latest surge in the United Kingdom.

Outsider named to conduct one-month review with an eye towards modernizing

A stark new CDC report lays it bare. But the trends suggest the crisis won't go away if and when the pandemic does.

The BA.2 omicron subvariant now accounts for a little over half of all COVID infections in Chicago.

The U.S. airplane and airport mask mandate will likely be lifted on April 18 or "shortly thereafter," according to Delta's chief health officer.

It's been at least five months since many Americans received their last vaccine shot, and studies show immunity can decline after that time.

It's been at least five months since many Americans received their last vaccine shot, and studies show immunity can decline after that time.

“We weren’t a healthy population coming into this,” Skrynski said. In 1990, the state and national adult obesity rates were below 15%. The pandemic has also brought attention to social and racial disparities in public health, and those inequities have played out in obesity rates as well. Last fall, the CDC broke down obesity rates along racial lines to note disparities in the data. “COVID doesn’t always spare the young and healthy people, but it does spare vaccinated folks from hospitalization and death,” she said.

A CDC map shows how the BA.2 subvariant has outcompeted other types of coronaviruses in the northeastern US.

Whenever it arrives, the next surge could put the country’s tolerance for disease and death in full relief.

The city is also officially ending its weekly COVID travel advisory updates.

New CDC metrics may get their first test if the United States sees the same sharp increases in coronavirus cases now bedeviling Europe.

PLEASANT, MI - Central Michigan University released a new set of masking guidelines based on updated guidance from the CDC and state leaders as COVID-19 cases continue to trend downwards. The campus has seen a low number of cases and in the community, according to Davies’ email. This includes any indoor areas where faculty or instructors are teaching students or collaborative research is taking place. More from MLiveFewer than 700 COVID-19 patients in Michigan hospitals as 7-day average of new cases remains at lowest level since summer1 student or 46? Michigan school claims error in COVID-19 outbreak reportingFree at-home COVID tests and masks arrived too late, experts sayCOVID ‘Deltacron’ variant: Where is it?

The rise of the more infectious BA.2 variant in the U.S. — plus signals in the sewage — also point to a possible uptick in cases, and have health officials on alert.

The rise of the more infectious BA.2 variant in the U.S. — plus signals in the sewage — also point to a possible uptick in cases, and have health officials on alert.

After the last couple years of living through a global pandemic, it seems as though most of us are itching to get in some good travel time.

The agency still recommends that people who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and are at increased risk avoid getting on a cruise ship.

The agency still recommends that people who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and are at increased risk avoid getting on a cruise ship.

SAGINAW, MI - Saginaw Public Schools has made indoor masking optional for students, staff and vistors as of Thursday, March 10, ending Saginaw County’s longest-running public school mask mandate. Saginaw was the only county public school district to begin the 2021-2022 school year with a requirement in place. Swan Valley School District, Saginaw Township Community Schools, Carrollton Public Schools and St. Charles Community Schools added mask mandates in September 2021 as COVID-19 cases rose. Swan Valley ended its mandate in early February, while Saginaw Township and Carrollton ended theirs in response to the guidance changes. Read more:Saginaw Public Schools will reconsider masking requirement at upcoming meetingOne by one, Saginaw County districts are ending mask mandatesCDC adjusts mask recommendations; under new criteria, most Michiganders won’t need them

CDC numbers show BA.2 now makes up roughly 11% of sequenced COVID cases in the United States.

CDC numbers show BA.2 now makes up roughly 11% of sequenced COVID cases in the United States.

SAGINAW, MI - As Saginaw Public Schools prepares to possibly rescind its universal masking mandate Wednesday, March 9, other county districts have done away with their requirements as well. Both Carrollton and Saginaw Township schools cited updated guidelines from the CDC, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Saginaw County Health Department as reasoning for their decisions. Carrollton, Saginaw Township, Swan Valley and St. Charles Community Schools each instituted requirements over the month of September. A representative for St. Charles Community Schools could not be immediately reached for comment on the status of the district’s masking requirement. Read more:Saginaw Public Schools will reconsider masking requirement at upcoming meetingCarrollton Public Schools ends masking requirementCDC adjusts mask recommendations; under new criteria, most Michiganders won’t need them

A dubious policy just became more nonsensical.

It is safe for most people to plan a getaway this spring, but you need to make sure you’re comfortable with the amount of risk involved, depending on your individual circumstances.

In only eight Michigan counties should all residents be wearing masks indoors and in public, according to the latest U.S. Disease Control and Prevention information. St. Clair, Sanilac, Clinton and Luce counties were also orange per the last update, according to the CDC, which is refreshing information weekly. The CDC has relaxed recommendations so only those in the orange counties should wear well-fitting facial coverings regardless of vaccination status while indoors and in public, including in K-12 schools. Michigan has 83 counties and 25 health service areas, three of which stretch outside the state’s boundaries, according to the CDC. In Michigan, COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped from a record high of more than 5,000 in January to fewer than 900 on Monday, March 7.

Ukrainian refugees reaching Polish train station share their stories; the state of the coronavirus pandemic; legally blind, 15-year-old freeride skier Jacob Smith

The group’s road map for 'living with covid’ focuses on boosting indoor air quality, helping those with long covid and broadening the focus to other respiratory diseases.

Masks are still required in health care settings in Springfield, Illinois, regardless of new CDC recommendations.

As COVID cases continue to fall, mask mandates are being lifted. Some people want to know where they should still wear masks and where it’s OK to take them off.

Federal guidance says you must still wear masks on public transportation like airplanes and buses.

Face masks will be optional for U.S. union auto workers, as long as their factories are in counties that are not at high risk for the novel coronavirus.

NBCOn Thursday night, one day after fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel dragged Republican troll-representatives Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene for heckling Joe Biden while he was speaking about his dead Iraq War vet son during the State of the Union address, Seth Meyers aimed his ire at another shameless, Trump-appeasing politician: Ron DeSantis.“[Trump] just goes from town to town holding his one-man WrestleManias where he just loudly whines and rants, and his crowd yells, ‘Lock the

Players will no longer be required to adhere to rigorous testing or mask wearing.

CARROLLTON, MI - Carrollton Public Schools ended its universal masking requirement for staff and students effective Wednesday, March 2, according to a letter from Interim Superintendent Jill Wrzesinski. Carrollton began the 2021-2022 school year without a masking requirement but has had a universal mandate in place since Wednesday, Sept. 22. New guidance released by the CDC Friday, Feb. 25 no longer recommends universal school masking or bus masking requirements in low and medium-risk communities. “Effective March 2nd, 2022, face masks in Carrollton Public School buildings will not be required,” the letter reads. Read more:CDC adjusts mask recommendations; under new criteria, most Michiganders won’t need themCarrollton Public Schools becomes latest Saginaw County district to require masksSaginaw Public Schools will reconsider masking requirement at upcoming meeting

The time has officially come for some districts to finally remove the mask from the classroom setting as more and more counties adhere to new CDC recommendations.

New guidelines from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention means new masking rules when it comes to the classroom, both at the county and district levels.

On Monday, the mask mandate is officially dropping for several schools in multiple counties. While lots of people are excited, some believe this may be happening all too soon.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention significantly loosened its face mask policy, recommending universal masking only for residents in areas that have “high” transmission levels.

There’s new evidence that getting vaccinated against COVID while pregnant can also provide protection to the baby.

The White House put out new data showing impressive differences between the death and hospitalization rates caused by omicron compared to previous variants.

Authorities in Chicago intercepted counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards that were headed to Metro Detroit from Maldova.

Beginning Saturday, Jan. 22, individuals who are traveling into the United States by land or by ferry will be required to show proof that they are fully vaccinated for COVID, unless they are a U.S. citizen.

The White House COVID-19 Response Team held a briefing to update Americans on the effectiveness of the booster shot against the omicron variant and the free COVID test that is being administered by mail.

Looking to kick off the new year right, with a healthy start? Join the Y 170 challenge!

The federal website where Americans can request free COVID-19 tests is now accepting orders.

President Joe Biden is expected to announce information about his plan to send high-quality masks to Americans for free.

Here is the CDC’s most recent update to COVID-19 booster shot eligibility -- as of Dec. 28, 2021.

Did Michigan undercount COVID deaths in long-term care facilities? A review coming out next week reportedly shows it did -- but Michigan’s director of health says that claim is false.

With the increased ability for the omicron variant to spread, many people are wondering if it’s time to up their mask game.

Following a record-breaking week of new COVID-19 cases in Michigan, statewide hospitalizations are at a new record-high.

Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky faced tough questions on several issues, including confusing new guidelines and the rapid rise of hospitalizations in children.

Cruise lines are in a crisis right now as almost every major ship at sea has reported COVID cases onboard. Some major cruise lines have cut trips short due to COVID-related issues.

Michigan health officials say the state has received its first shipment of newly authorized COVID-19 pill treatments, but it’ll only be prescribed in certain situations due to limited supply.

Here are tonight's top stories.

The CDC is still struggling to clarify its change in the recommended isolation period for people who test positive for COVID but are asymptomatic.

Watch live coverage as President Biden meets with the White House COVID-19 response team on developments and response efforts to the omicron variant.

The U.S. is expanding COVID-19 boosters as it confronts the omicron surge.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to expand eligibility for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shots to children ages 12 to 15 in the coming days, NBC News reports.