Coronavirus

One employee who works for Cordia at Grand Traverse Commons, a senior living facility in Traverse City, tested positive for COVID-19. 

The coronavirus diagnostic was announced Tuesday, April 7 by the Grand Traverse Health Department.

People are flooding into Leelanau County since COVID-19 hit Michigan last month, according to several local business owners.

Health departments in northern Michigan have asked those visiting to self-quarantine, and essential workers in the county are concerned about the increased foot traffic.

Artists across northern Michigan are scrambling to find ways to make up for lost income due to the COVID-19 crisis.

With many events and large gatherings canceled through spring and into the summer, artists have lost out on gigs and other opportunities they were depending on to make ends meet. 

On March 12, Interlochen Arts Academy students learned they would be departing campus abruptly because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Quickly, it dawned on the young artists that many recitals, ensemble performances and other events would be postponed or even canceled.

On Classical IPR in Concert this week, we'll share two solo recitals. Hours before the campus closed, organist Kat Jolliff and pianist Richard Gao performed their programs having just heard about the imminent dismissal. These are some of the last notes played before the students went home.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer suspended in-person learning for the remainder of the school year under an executive order, on Thursday, April 2.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan public school buildings will be closed but districts will recieve most, if not all, of their alloted funding from the state. 

  Last week, hospitals in the Detroit area reported being at full capacity.

The state asked hospitals to make room for any COVID-19 patients that might need to be transferred. It suggested hospitals to increase the number of Intensive Care Unit beds to 10 to 20 percent and prepare an emergency plan.

Now, some northern Michigan hospitals are making room for possible transfers.

Non-profit organizations in northern Michigan are among those hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Dave Mengebier is the president and CEO of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. He says more people depend on nonprofits for essentials during this crisis, but it’s a really tough time for those organizations to raise money. 

A $500,000 grant from the state will support businesses in the 10 counties of northwest lower Michigan affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

About that same amount is also available through a new loan program from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.