Displaying items tagged: coronavirus

GRAND RAPIDS — Kent County Health Department officials are “actively and aggressively” seeking out COVID-19 cases in the community by testing in clusters of vulnerable residents, contributing to the recent rise in positive cases here.

Michigan unemployment claims spiked more than 4,000 percent in the second half of March as the coronavirus pandemic shuttered large portions of the state and national economy.

GRAND RAPIDS — Amway Corp. affiliate AHC Hospitality has laid off 1,000 workers and closed all but the downtown Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

GRAND RAPIDS — Spectrum Health has moved beds and equipment into Grand Valley State University’s Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences in preparation for a surge in patients from the COVID-19 pandemic.

GRAND RAPIDS — Steelcase Inc. said Tuesday that reduced or halted operations at its global manufacturing and distribution centers because of the coronavirus will “temporarily, but significantly” affect the company’s ability to generate revenue in its current quarter. 

KALAMAZOO — Bronson Healthcare intends to open four locations today in the Kalamazoo area to accept donations of personal protective equipment and disinfecting supplies.

Major business groups in Michigan are recommending Gov. Gretchen Whitmer avoid a “shelter-in-place” order, warning that such a move to help stop the spread of the coronavirus could be disruptive to supply chains that keep essential facilities like grocery stores and hospitals operating. 

The federal regulatory body that oversees the alcohol industry has cleared the way for U.S. distilleries to begin producing hand sanitizer. 

GRAND RAPIDS — The city of Grand Rapids today issued temporary service changes to aid in preventing the spread of COVID-19. 

The Small Business Association of Michigan has launched a daily webcast today to brief members on the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic and offer guidance for small businesses.

West Michigan brewery owners are reeling this morning over news that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will issue an order later today to temporarily close bars, restaurants and other venues over concerns related to coronavirus. 

Jackson-based Consumers Energy says it will suspend shutoffs for non-pay for seniors and low-income customers starting today until April 5, citing “unprecedented circumstances” surrounding the spread of coronavirus.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Kent County Health Department on Sunday ordered restaurants, bars, fitness centers and entertainment venues to reduce their maximum occupancies by 50 percent.

Business organizations are offering plenty of advice and information to employers about the coronavirus pandemic and how to manage through the crisis.

GRAND RAPIDS — Spectrum Health this weekend opened a drive-up location to collect specimens from people who have been referred by a physician for a test for the Coronavirus and COVID-19.

The automotive industry is scrambling to strike a balance between near-term execution and unsteady industry disruption from the novel coronavirus outbreak. 

The coronavirus outbreak that’s battered Wall Street and caused supply chain disruptions for some manufacturers has yet to interrupt transactions, although more conversations are occurring as part of due diligence, according to M&A professionals.

GRAND RAPIDS — Restaurants and breweries across West Michigan are taking precautions to protect employees and patrons from coronavirus. 

Economists at Comerica Inc. now expect the U.S. economy to possibly dip negative for the second quarter as a fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Leigh Schultz, a senior principal attorney in the Kalamazoo office of Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone PLC, has been fielding calls from her clients about what action they need to take regarding COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus.

Colleges and universities from coast to coast are moving rapidly to close campuses and transition to virtual classrooms in lieu of face-to-face meetings as the spread of COVID-19 has transformed into a global pandemic. 

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning residents to beware of potential price gouging following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s state of emergency declaration in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Hospitals have a range of options to adjust for an influx of patients who contract the coronavirus and require hospitalization, a statewide trade group said this week.

After announcing Michigan’s first two presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 on March 10, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration released a series of “community mitigation strategies” that span the state’s economy and population to prevent the spread of the virus.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Association for Corporate Growth Western Michigan has postponed its annual Outstanding Growth Awards in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Stock prices for West Michigan’s publicly traded companies continued to plummet on Monday, a sign of Wall Street’s growing concern about the effect the coronavirus outbreak could have on the U.S. economy and rising tensions over oil production between Russia and Saudi Arabia. 

Today’s emergency interest rate cut could aid a slowing U.S. economy facing a significant threat from the coronavirus outbreak, according to Comerica Inc. economists.

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China is forcing West Michigan manufacturers to find creative solutions to avoid production disruptions.

The U.S. economy maintained moderate growth to start 2020, although the coronavirus crisis in China could cause problems.

A tooling engineer from Grand Rapids-based Tier-1 supplier ADAC Automotive was traveling in the Wuhan area of China when the Coronavirus public health crisis broke in late January.