Duggan calls for all essential workers in Detroit to get COVID-19 tested

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says they are now making more testing available in the city; this time the focus is on workers at businesses deemed essential.

"If we're going to get the city back on its feet it means we need to have a lot broader testing," he said.

Duggan says that means seeing even more people at the testing site at the State Fairgrounds.

"We've got folks going to work every day at gas stations grocery stores banks - a whole series of businesses that we need," he said.

The priority he says will still be given to people with symptoms, but he wants essential businesses and their employees - including city of Detroit workers still on the job - to be healthy and safe.

"Starting Monday I want every business to know that if you are open because you are essential we will test all of your employees," he said.

Duggan says as testing ramps up so does assistance at the city's 26 nursing homes - where 30 percent of people are testing positive, and 98 nursing home residents and caretakers have died. Duggan believes that number is much higher.

The city is now handing out personal protective equipment to the workers at nursing homes - hoping to stop the spread.

Duggan says staying home, social distancing and masks are all working. Hospitals are seeing fewer people and the TCF Center only has 21 patients with room for 1,000.

City Council President Brenda Jones is healthy once again after her illness with COVID-19.

Still, Duggan says the city lost 34 more people Thursday - bringing the death toll closer to 600.

"I mean we've lost 500 people in five weeks," he said. "I've never experienced anything like this and you know, it's the kind of thing you ask yourself every day - is there something you could have done earlier, something you could have done better. We're doing everything you can."

And he is asking Detroiters to do everything they can - to stay home and stay safe.