In Thursday’s press conference, Governor Whitmer announced that high school winter sports are allowed to start in-person practice and competition on Monday, February 8. Masks must be worn at all times. If masks cannot be worn, athletes and coaches must be tested regularly according to MDHHS guidelines. PLUS, two spectators per high school athlete are allowed. For larger sports venues, up to 250 spectators are allowed in stadiums with less than 10,000 seats and up to 500 people at venues with over 10,000 seats. That’s great news!

Both Governor Whitmer and Dr. Khaldun reported more good news in regard to Michigan’s coronavirus metrics. These include:

•  Hospitalizations are down to 6.6% of beds with COVID patients
•  Case rates are down to 159 cases per million people statewide
•  The Detroit, Traverse City, and UP regions are now below 150 cases per million
•  Positivity rates are haven’t been so low since mid-October

Coming Soon … Another Vaccine!

On Wednesday, Johnson & Johnson released results from its COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is reported to have “high percent efficacy against severe disease as well as complete protection against death and hospitalization.” The single-shot vaccine was found to be 72% effective in preventing moderate-to-severe COVID-19 in the US and 66% effectiveness worldwide. Johnson & Johnson filed for emergency use authorization yesterday. They expect the FDA to review the data and hopefully issue authorization in early March.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

With every metric moving it the right direction, and a third vaccine on its way, things are really starting to look up (knock on wood). Just remember that we all still need to do what we can (wearing a mask, washing our hands, etc.) to keep moving us forward. And while you’re making progress on the coronavirus front, let’s not forget about moving your organization forward, too. We’d love the opportunity to partner with you in 2021. Extend Your Reach offers a full array of services, and we’d like to put our skills to work for you. You can reach us at 800-887-1959 or info@extendyourreach.com.

Stay safe!

Jay Gillotte
CEO, Extend Your Reach