Wayne County kicks in $1.6M to Detroit small business grant program
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans added $1.6 million to a new $3.1 million small business grant program Detroit created, expanding eligibility to businesses throughout the county.
Evans made the announcement Wednesday afternoon when he joined Mayor Mike Duggan during the mayor's daily briefing from Eastern Market to update Detroiters on the city's efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Before diving into the latest coronavirus numbers, Duggan scolded the media. Without specifying who he was upset with, the mayor said it was unfair to suggest that Detroit has a lot of COVID-19 cases because it has a large number of poor residents.
"Detroit is not a hotspot because it's a poor community," he said, pointing to more well-off hotspots like New Rochelle, NY, and Middlesex County, Mass. — or even Oakland County.
"There is no evidence that the coronavirus checks your bank account before it jumps to you," Duggan said, adding that Detroit is having so many cases because "somebody brought the virus into this community early on, and it spread in this community before we knew what was going on."
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Duggan later acknowledged that Detroiters do have considerably more health problems than surrounding communities, but added: "That doesn't affect the infection rate. It may affect the fatality rate."
From there, Duggan moved on to some more positive remarks, including the 1,100 jobs available through the city's www.detroitatwork.com website or by calling 313-962-9675.
Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair said the city now has 2,483 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 82 deaths.
She said one reason the numbers continue to rise is that the city has been at the forefront of testing residents, especially at a drive-thru test site set up at the state fairgrounds.
You must have a prescription to get tested at the fairgrounds. Duggan said 25 doctors offices are now taking new patients — in many cases even if those people do not have insurance.
To find a doctor, visit the city's website for a list.
Duggan said 91 police and 17 firefighters have tested positive. He said 520 police and 136 firefighters are in quarantine.
To find out more about the small business grant and loan programs, visit the following sites:
For Detroit small businesses, go to degc.org's support page.
For Wayne County small businesses, fill out this grant fund application.
To learn more about the Wayne County loan program with TCF Bank, visit waynecounty.com.