A freezing opening day, another politically-charged flag display, user error ruins 15 million vaccines
THURSDAY NEWS HIT - It appears that if the warnings about avoiding downtown aren't enough to keep non-ticket holders away from the city, then freezing temperatures on a cold start to April just might.
For the 8,200 fans that have tickets to the Detroit Tigers opening day, they're in for a chilly start to the season. They'll have some rules to abide by as well, the mayor has said in the week leading up to the game.
But for those that don't have a ticket, the message is clear: stay away.
A cold opening day arrives in Detroit
By the time the Detroit Tigers take the mound for the first game of the season, temperatures might be above freezing in downtown Detroit. That's part of what 8,000 fans expected fans can expect on opening day this year.
"We are asking you if you don't have a ticket to the game, please do not come into the city," said Mayor Mike Duggan. "The people in the ballpark will be socially distanced and will be safe."
"What we don't have the room is for a lot of other people to be coming down and tailgating outside."
Public officials have been particularly concerned about the recent spike in new cases of COVID-19. Even so, Comerica Park will be about 20% full by game time. The fans will be spread out to ensure safety.
Typically, downtown Detroit on opening day looks more like a holiday than the start of baseball. Bars are full, tailgating is lively, and there's lots of drinking. But this year, the city hasn't even received a permit for an outdoor tailgate.
The bars and restaurants downtown are only operating at 50%, but will still take patrons as they come.
"Detroit is always up and coming. We always go through trials. It's just another step for us. Detroit always comes back better than ever," said Josh Duncan, general manager of Tin Roof Detroit.
A word to those who are attending the game. The stadium is only scanning electronic barcodes. That means any ticket-holders will need to get the MLB Ball Park App.
Detroit fire truck crashes into gas station
A Detroit fire rig traveling down Dequindre Wednesday evening struck a Lincoln SUV before careening into a Citgo gas station, where it hit another parked car fueling up and eventually striking the station store.
Video courtesy of Metro Detroit News shows the moments leading up to the wreck, which injured seven people. All are expected to survive.
The fire rig was responding to a call on I-75 when it came speeding toward an intersection of State Fair and Dequindre. A witness said the SUV that the fire truck struck had a green light as it traveled through the intersection. "It was just a blind-side accident, but he was in the right," they said.
Detroit police say it is unclear who is at fault at this point in the investigation.
Detroit fire rig crashes into SUV, sending it into gas station pump
Seven people were hospitalized with only minor injuries after a scary crash that saw a Detroit fire rig sent careening into an east side gas station pump.
Another politically-charged flag display
A St. Clair Shores woman says her neighbor displayed a confederate flag in a window facing her home over political differences. Michelle Mormul said the flag has been up since last summer. She hasn't spoken to her neighbor since the flag went up.
"I see a historically racist flag," she said. "When my writing partner who is Black comes over and we start writing out here, she’s just really hurt."
But not everyone on the block agrees with her. Another neighbor, Dave Pawlik said that others don't like the signs that Mormul put up in her front yard. She has at least two flags supporting social justice issues.
Earlier this year, two neighbors in Grosse Pointe Park had a dispute that led to one hanging a KKK flag in the window facing their neighbor - a Black woman.
St. Clair Shores woman says neighbor has Confederate flag facing her home over political differences
A St. Clair Shores woman said her neighbor put a Confederate flag in his window because they had differing political views.
Ford shuts down Dearborn truck plant
A global computer chip shortage wreaking havoc on the auto manufacturing world claimed another casualty Wednesday when Ford announced it was shutting down its Dearborn truck plant for two weeks.
The plant will be closed during the weeks of April 5 and 12. The automaker is also canceling super shifts at the plant for the weeks of April 26, May 10, May 31, and June 21.
Ford has also temporarily shut down plants in Kansas City, Louisville, Chicago, Ohio, and Oakville.
In addition to the supply shortage from the spring 2020 shutdown, other supply chain woes include a fire at a Japanese chip plant and a large vessel blocking the Suez Canal.
Beaumont hospitals report surge in younger Covid patients
Dr. Matthew Sims of Beaumont Health says Michigan is still early in its surge, but of what they can measure about the latest outbreak, it's infecting more younger people and it's making them sicker.
About a month ago, the hospital chain had 128 patients in its eight hospitals. That number is now over 500. "It's harder to know for sure, but it does look like the patients are a bit sicker than they were in the prior surge," he said.
Sims said the majority of patients are between the ages of 30-50. Sims said part of the reason is "pandemic fatigue" where people are just tired of being inside a lot of the time. Additionally, the presence of the UK variant could also be causing issues.
Despite the surge in cases, Beaumont has updated its visitation policy. Non-Covid patients are now allowed one visitor a day, but that person must be fully vaccinated against the virus.
COVID-19 patients nearly quadruple in a month at Beaumont hospitals
Dr. Matthew Sims, the head of infectious disease research, attributes the surge in cases to a couple of things.
What else we're watching
- Yesterday, Johnson & Johnson announced the distribution of its vaccine would stop after a batch of 15 million doses had to be thrown out over user error. Some of those doses likely would have come to Michigan as part of the state's effort to increase supply. It's unclear how it might affect access in the coming weeks.
- People don't have to travel far north to see that snow fell in parts of Oakland and Macomb County last night. A reminder that we only just arrived in spring.
- After being called out in a newspaper ad for not doing enough to address systemic racism, Mary Barra will meet with Black leaders Thursday, a GM spokesman said.
- An expanded TCF Center will be offering vaccines to people who walk through the building on foot as well as through the garage. Duggan announced the plans as a means to vaccinate up to 8,000 people a day.
- The president's new infrastructure plan will cost more than $2 trillion to fund. Joe Biden wants corporations to pay for the investment with a higher tax rate - an increase of about 5%, essentially reversing a Trump-era policy.
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Daily Forecast
Remember winter? Because Michigan does and she brought it back on April Fools Day. It will be a cold 35 degrees out Thursday. Cloudy conditions will last until early evening.
A wintry start to the new month. It’s a cold day for baseball!
Snow showers and all day cold. A warmer weekend is on the way!
15 million J&J COVID vaccines thrown away after ingredient mix-up
A dosage mix-up at a Baltimore production facility, which ruined about 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID vaccine, has prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to delay certification of the facility.
Employees at Emergent BioSolutions, a production facility in Baltimore, and a manufacturing partner to Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, reportedly mixed-up two vaccine dosages and shipments were put on hold.
Shipments of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine have been delayed pending an investigation by the FDA.
US officials said the vaccine spoilage will not impact plans to provide enough vaccine to immunize every adult by May.