Testing at Long-Term Care Facilities to be Completed by May 8
The Detroit Health Department (DHD) has completed COVID-19 testing for residents at more than half of the long-term care facilities in Detroit, according to Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair. To date, 24 of 37 facilities have been tested, and DHD is seeing an infection rate of approximately 10 percent.
Testing at the remaining locations is expected to be completed by the end of the week. The update was provided during Mayor Duggan's daily press briefing May 6.
Mayor Acknowledges Individuals Assisting with COVID-19 Testing
Mayor Duggan and Fire Commissioner Eric Jones recognized Detroit emergency medical technicians, who have helped with the testing at nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The Mayor said the City was able to test the nursing homes in such a short time by utilizing trained EMTs.
Since DHD opened its rapid testing clinic at 100 Mack, 70 Wayne State medical students have become a vital part of the clinical team. Students administer the Abbott test to hundreds of the City's first responders as they gain real world experience with Detroiters, while preparing to become practicing doctors.
 Wayne State medical students Lucia Luna Wong (left) and Michael Moentmann shared their experiences working alongside Health Department staff at the Mayor’s daily briefing May 5.
 Detroit Health Department Confirms Accuracy of Abbott Rapid Testing
The Detroit Health Department (DHD) today announced that its use of the Abbott ID NOW™ test is reliable.
Across the country, there have been questions about the accuracy of the Abbott rapid test. To address the concern, DHD took 49 samples of those who had tested negative for COVID-19 and sent them to the State of Michigan laboratory for evaluation. The samples were sent without any indication of the results from DHD testing.
When the report came back, the test results for DHD and the State were in agreement, with 48 coming back negative and just one test deemed inconclusive. The inconclusive test was retested, and the result was still negative.
“This is also great for the City of Detroit as we phase in our employees,” said Dr. Najibah Rehman, DHD Medical Director, who is overseeing testing for the department. “We can feel very confident and feel really good about the direction we are going in.”
Since DHD opened its onsite clinic on April 3 for the City’s first responders, more than 5,100 Abbott rapid tests have been administered. The test results were presented at the Mayor's briefing May 6.
Mayor Duggan Appoints C. Mikel Oglesby Executive Director of Transit
Mayor Mike Duggan announced the appointment of C. Mikel Oglesby as the City’s Executive Director of Transit after a national search. Oglesby will oversee both the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Detroit People Mover (DPM) and be responsible for improving coordination with regional partners, including SMART and the Q Line. Mayor Duggan introduced Oglesby at his daily briefing May 6.
Oglesby comes to Detroit with more than 30 years of transit experience spanning all aspects of the industry, from fixed route, paratransit, light and heavy rail service and maintenance. The son of a bus operator at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Oglesby began his career at the MBTA and rose through the ranks to become Assistant General Manager of the nation's fourth largest multi-modal system.
He also served with SunLine Transit Agency in California and, most recently, as the Deputy Executive Director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA).
Oglesby is a nationally recognized leader in alternative fuel technology and known as an innovator in the field of green energy with the development and deployment of the first hydrogen powered American Fuel Cell Bus.
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