>> Announcer: LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN DETROIT, HOME OF WDIV AND CLICK
ON DETROIT.
ON DETROIT. LOCAL 4 NEWS AT 5:00 STARTS NOW!
>> Devin: NEW HOPE WE COULD BE
GETTING CLOSER TO A
BREAKTHROUGH.
BREAKTHROUGH. >> DATA SHOWS THAT REMDESIVIR
HAS A CLEAR-CUT SIGNIFICANT
POSITIVE EFFECT IN DIMINISHING
THE TIME TO RECOVERY.
>> Devin: DR. McGEORGE IS IN TO
EXPLAIN HOW THIS DRUG IS HELPING
BATTLE THE CORONAVIRUS.
>> Kim: AND IT’S COMING DOWN TO
THE WIRE WITH THE STATE OF
EMERGENCY SET TO EXPIRE FRIDAY
AT MIDNIGHT.
AT MIDNIGHT. TALKS HEAT UP AMID A BATTLE TO
REOPEN MICHIGAN FOR BUSINESS.
>> Devin: WE BEGIN WITH THE
PASSING OF ANOTHER GRIM
MILESTONE.
MILESTONE. CASES IN THE STATE HAVE ECLIPSED
40,000.
40,000. IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE NUMBER OF
NEW CASES HAS HIT A PLATEAU AND
EXPERTS SAY THAT MEANS SOCIAL
DISTANCING IS WORKING.
>> Kim: THE NUMBER OF TESTS IS
RAMPING UP.
RAMPING UP. SO LET’S LOOK AT TODAY’S
NUMBERS.
NUMBERS. TODAY, THERE WERE 1137 NEW CASES
OF THE VIRUS AND IT TOOK THE
LIVES OF 103 MICHIGANDERS IN THE
LAST 24 HOURS.
WHILE THE BATTLE AGAINST
COVID-19 IS FAR FROM OVER, A
DEBATE RAGING IN LANSING OVER
PLANS TO REOPEN THE STATE FOR
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. >> Devin: AS MICHIGAN’S STATE OF
EMERGENCY IS SET TO END TOMORROW
NIGHT.
NIGHT. GOVERNOR WHITMER WANTS IT
EXTENDED.
EXTENDED. REPUBLICANS WANT HER TO SPEED UP
THE REOPENING PLANS.
IT’S CRUNCH TIME TO COME UP WITH
A DEAL.
A DEAL. ROD MELONI IS FOLLOWING IT ALL
FROM LANSING AFTER A VERY BUSY
DAY AND WHAT MAY BE A BUSY
EVENING, TOO, ROD.
>> Rod: IT WILL BE A BUSY
TOMORROW, ACTUALLY, DEVIN.
THEY HAVE COME TO THE CROSSROADS
AND THE GOVERNOR TOLD THE
LEGISLATURE, WE’RE DONE TALKING
HERE.
HERE. IT LOOKS LIKE SHE’S GOING TO
EXTEND THE ORDER ON HER OWN.
THE LEGISLATURE ISN’T LIKING TO
HEAR THAT.
HEAR THAT. BEFORE WE GET TO ALL OF THAT
DRAMA, LET’S HEAR ABOUT
CONSTRUCTION OPENING.
CONSTRUCTION OPENING. A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WILL BE
HAPPY ABOUT THIS.
>> THIS FRIDAY, I’LL BE SIGNING
AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT WILL
OPEN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL
CONSTRUCTION BY MAY.
MAY 7th.
MAY 7th. >> Rod: THE GOVERNOR HAD BEEN
HINTING AT CONSTRUCTION FOR DAYS
NOW.
NOW. SO NEXT THURSDAY, 8 DAYS FROM
NOW, SHE WILL ALLOW CONSTRUCTION
TO RESUME CROSS THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN.
MICHIGAN. BUT THIS IS NOT PLAYING WELL
WITH THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED
LEGISLATURE, WHICH WEPT INTO
FULL SESSION TODAY LOOKING TO
DECIDE WHETHER TO GRANT THE
28-DAY STATE OF EMERGENCY
DECLARATION THAT THE GOVERNOR
HAD ORIGINALLY ASKED FOR.
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS OFFERED HER
TWO ONE-WEEK EXTENSIONS IN
EXCHANGE FOR FASTER REOPENING
IMPLEMENTATION.
IMPLEMENTATION. IT WAS NEGOTIATION AND ONE THE
GOVERNOR OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT
INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN
AND SHE SLAMMED THE LEGISLATURE
IN HER PRESS CONFERENCE THIS
AFTERNOON.
AFTERNOON. >> WE REMAIN IN A STATE OF
EMERGENCY.
EMERGENCY. I DON’T KNOW OF ANY OTHER
LEGISLATURE IN THE COUNTRY THAT
IS JUST DECIDING TO DECLARE THAT
THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT KILLED
103 MICHIGANDERS SINCE YESTERDAY
IS OVER.
IS OVER. IT IS NOT OVER.
WE REMAIN IN A STATE OF
EMERGENCY UNLESS THE ORDER IS
RESCINDED.
RESCINDED. AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY INTENTION
OF RESCINDING THAT RIGHT NOW.
>> Rod: AND SO WHERE DOES THAT
LEAVE US?
LEAVE US? THE LEGISLATURE HERE TOMORROW
WITH A VOTE AS TO WHETHER TO
EXTEND OR NOT.
AND THEN THE POSSIBILITY OF
COURT.
COURT. WE’LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS
COMING UP ON LOCAL 4 NEWS AT
6:00.
6:00. WE HAVE SOUND WITH THE SPEAKER
AND HEAR HIS CORNER OF THIS.
SO AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, THE
LEGISLATURE BACK IN TOMORROW AND
TALK ABOUT A PROTEST HERE
TOMORROW AS WELL.
BACK TO YOU.
>> Devin: THE GOVERNOR PUT OUT A
PLAN TO HELP FRONTLINE WORKERS
GET COLLEGE DEGREES.
TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> Rod: YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS
SHE SAID IS THAT THERE’S FEDERAL
MONEY AVAILABLE FOR HER TO START
OFFERING PEOPLE WHO DON’T HAVE
COLLEGE DEGREES BUT ARE WORKING
ON THE FRONT LINES, THE GROCERY
WORKERS, TRUCKERS, AND OTHER
PEOPLE WHO DON’T HAVE DEGREES
AND WANT ONE, TO GET THEM FOR
FREE AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
SHE SAID SHE WILL BE RAMPING
THAT UP.
THAT UP. >> Devin: ALL RIGHT, ROD MELONI
ON A BREEZY AFTERNOON THERE IN
LANSING.
LANSING. KIM?
KIM? >> Kim: AT HIS DAILY CORONAVIRUS
UPDATE, MAYOR MIKE DUGGAN SAID
CONSTRUCTION IN DETROIT WILL
RESTART WITH THE CITY TAKING
EVERY PRECAUTION TO GET CREWS
BACK TO WORK.
HE SAID SAFETY ON JOB SITES IS
SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF HOW HARD
THE CITY AND PARTICULARLY THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY HAVE
BEEN IMPACTED.
BEEN IMPACTED. >> WE’VE LOST A THOUSAND OF OUR
NEIGHBORS.
NEIGHBORS. AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE DYING OF
THIS DISEASE 2-3 TIMES MORE
FREQUENTLY THAN CAUCASIANS IF
YOU GET INFECTED.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A HIGHER
STANDARD IN THE CITY OF DETROIT.
>> Kim: HE SAID WORKERS WILL BE
TESTED FOR CORONAVIRUS, SCREENED
FOR SYMPTOMS DAILY AND GIVEN
MASKS.
MASKS. 16 CONTRACTORS WILL START
WORKING ON CITY PROJECTS IN THE
NEXT TWO WEEKS.
>> Devin: THE FDA PLANS TO
ANNOUNCE AN EMERGENCY USE
AUTHORIZATION FOR REMDESIVIR AS
EARLY AS TODAY.
>> Kim: IT WAS DESIGNED TO TREAT
EBOLA AND IS BEING GIVEN TO MANY
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. DR. McGEORGE IS HERE WITH THE
NEW STUDY TRIGGERING THIS
CHANGE.
CHANGE. DOC?
DOC? >> Dr. McGeorge: THE MOVE COMES
AFTER DR. ANTHONY FAUCI
EXPRESSED OPTIMISM ABOUT THE
RESULTS OF A STUDY OVERSEEN BY
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASE,
THE GROUP THAT HE HEADS.
IT SUGGESTS REMDESIVIR DOES MAKE
A DIFFERENCE!
A DIFFERENCE! >> THE DATA SHOWS REMDESIVIR HAS
A CLEAR-CUT SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE
EFFECT IN DIMINISHING THE TIME
TO RECOVERY.
TO RECOVERY. THIS IS REALLY QUITE IMPORTANT.
>> Dr. McGeorge: THE STUDY
STARTED ON FEBRUARY 21st WITH
THE RANDOMIZED TRIAL, THE GOLD
STANDARD OF RESEARCH AND WITH
MORE THAN 1,000 PATIENTS.
>> IT’S THE FIRST TRULY
HIGH-POWERED RANDOMIZED PLACEBO
TRIAL.
TRIAL. IT WAS AN INTERNATIONAL TRIAL
INVOLVING MULTIPLE SITES, NOT
ONLY THE UNITED STATES BUT
VARIOUS COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE
WORK, INCLUDING GERMANY,
DENMARK, GREECE, THE U.K., ET
CETERA.
CETERA. >> Dr. McGeorge: IT SHORTENED
RECOVERY TIME FROM 15 DAYS TO
11.
11. >> ALTHOUGH A 31% IMPROVEMENT
DOESN’T SEEM LIKE A KNOCKOUT
100%, IT’S A VERY IMPORTANT
PROOF OF CONCEPT.
WHAT IT HAS PROVEN IS THAT A
DRUG CAN BLOCK THIS VIRUS.
THE MORTALITY RATE TRENDED
TOWARDS BEING BETTER IN THE
SENSE OF LESS DEATHS IN THE
REMDESIVIR GROUP.
REMDESIVIR GROUP. 8% VERSUS 11% IN THE PLACEBO
GROUP.
GROUP. WHENEVER YOU HAVE CLEAR-CUT
EVIDENCE THAT A DRUG WORKS, YOU
HAVE AN ETHICAL OBLIGATION TO
IMMEDIATELY LET THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE IN THE PLACEBO GROUP KNOW SO
THAT THEY CAN HAVE ACCESS AND
ALL OF THE OTHER TRIALS TAKING
PLACE NOW HAVE A NEW STANDARD OF
CARE.
CARE. >> Dr. McGeorge: AND I ALSO
WANNA MENTION, THERE WAS A LESS
ENCOURAGING STUDY IN SEVERELY
ILL PATIENTS IN CHINA.
AS PUBLISHED IN LANCET, IT DID
NOT SPEED RECOVERY BUT IT WAS
STOPPED EARLY AFTER ENROLLING
ONLY 237 PATIENTS AFTER CASES
DROPPED OFF IN CHINA.
>> Kim: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR
PATIENTS RIGHT NOW?
>> Dr. McGeorge: YOU KNOW, BASED
ON THIS NEW RESEARCH, THE FDA IS
EXPECTED TO ISSUE AN EMERGENCY
USE AUTHORIZATION TO OPEN ITS
USE BEYOND RESEARCH AND EXPANDED
ACCESS PROGRAMS.
ACCESS PROGRAMS. IT WILL CREATE HIGH DEMAND.
AND THEN THE QUESTION WILL BE
HOW WELL THE MANUFACTURER WILL
BE ABLE TO MEET THE DEMAND GOING
FORWARD.
FORWARD. >> Kim: SOUNDS PROMISING.
>> Devin: MORE DIRE ECONOMIC
NEWS SHOWING THE U.S. ECONOMY
SHRINKING AT THE WORST RATE
SINCE THE 2008 RECESSION, AS
STATES MOVE TO OPEN THEIR
ECONOMIES.
ECONOMIES. AND ALICE BARR IS IN WASHINGTON
WITH THE LATEST.
>> Reporter: ECONOMISTS ARE
WARNING THE ROUGH NEWS OUT OF
THE FIRST QUARTER WILL BE
NOTHING COMPARED TO THE SECOND
QUARTER, AND STATES ARE FEELING
THE PRESSURE TO REOPEN EVEN
THOUGH THEY’RE NOT MEETING
FEDERAL BENCH MARKS.
WITH THE WHITE HOUSE SOCIAL
DISTANCING GUIDELINES SET TO
EXPIRE TOMORROW NIGHT, PRESIDENT
TRUMP SIGNALING THEY WON’T BE
FORMALLY EXTENDED.
FORMALLY EXTENDED. >> THEY’LL BE FADING OUT BECAUSE
NOW THE GOVERNORS ARE DOING IT.
>> THE CURRENT GUIDELINES, I
THINK YOU CAN SAY, ARE
INCORPORATED IN THE GUIDANCE
THAT WE’RE GIVING STATES TO OPEN
UP AMERICA AGAIN.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
MEETING TODAY WITH THE GOVERNOR
OF LOUISIANA WHO IS EXTENDING
HIS STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS AND
RELAXING SOME OF THE RULES.
>> IT’S A SEAMLESS WAY TO DO IT.
>> Reporter: OTHER STATES
FORAGING AHEAD WITHOUT MEETING
STANDARDS WITH TWO WEEKS OF
REDUCED CASES.
REDUCED CASES. GOVERNORS FEELING THE PRESSURE
TO JUMP-START THEIR ECONOMIES.
THE GDP FELL BY 4.8% IN THE
FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR,
ENDING THE LONGEST ECONOMIC
EXPANSION ON RECORD.
AND THE PICTURE IS SURE TO BE
MUCH WORSE IN THE SECOND QUARTER
WITH LOCKDOWNS IN FULL EFFECT.
THE FEDERAL RESERVE SAYING LIT
KEEP THE SHORT-TERM INTEREST
RATES NEAR ZERO TO KEEP THE
MONEY FLOWING.
MONEY FLOWING. >> WILL THERE BE MORE THAT NEEDS
TO BE DONE?
YES.
YES. >> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO
KEEP MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS
OPEN.
OPEN. SEVERAL HAVE CLOSED AMID DEADLY
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAKS, RAISING
CONCERNS OVER NATIONAL SHORTAGES
AND PRICE HIKES.
PRESIDENT TRUMP PROMISING TO
PROTECT WORKERS.
PROTECT WORKERS. UNION LEADERS SAY IT HASN’T
HAPPENED SO FAR.
>> WE CAN’T SACRIFICE WORKERS TO
CONTINUE THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN.
THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS.
>> Reporter: MANY FAMILIES HAVE
BEEN FORCED TO MOURN LOSSES
ALONE, THE SCENE PLAYING OUT IN
THE STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY,
HUGE CROWDS GRIEVING THE LOSS OF
A BELOVED RABBI DRAWING OUTRAGE
AT THE MAYOR WHO THREATENED
ARREST IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN.
DR. FAUCI HAD HOPE FOR PROMISING
NEW DRUG TREATMENT BUT WARNED WE
COULD BE IN FOR A BAD FALL AND
WINTER IF THE RIGHT
COUNTERMEASURES ARE NOT PUT IN
PLACE
PLACE ALICE BARR, LOCAL 4.
>> Kim: WE KNEW THE RAIN WAS
COMING BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE
HAD TO LIKE IT.
>> Devin: WE’VE SEEN IT COMING
IN WAVES TODAY.
SO LET’S GET TO BEN’S PLACE AND
SEE WHEN IT WILL MOVE OUT.
BEN?
BEN? >> Ben: A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK,
AND THAT MAY LAST INTO THE EARLY
EVENING, BUT WE’LL SEE THE
SHOWERS REGENERATE A LOT MORE
INTO THE NIGHTTIME HOURS.
I WANNA SHOW YOU "4 LIVE RADAR."
A COUPLE AREAS WHERE THERE’S A
FEW RAINDROPS, AN AREA THAT
WE’RE STARTING TO MONITOR COMING
OUT OF PARTS OF LAKE ERIE,
NORTHERN OHIO, A LOT OF THAT
WILL STAY EAST OF US BUT MAY GET
BRUSHED WITH SOME OF THE
SHOWERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH
ZONE.
ZONE. AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES GO, WE’VE
OVERACHIEVED TODAY.
OVERACHIEVED TODAY. WE’RE AT 68 RIGHT NOW.
AND WE WILL BE FALLING INTO THE
50s TONIGHT.
50s TONIGHT. BUT THAT WARM AIR HAS MANAGED TO
COME IN HERE THANKS TO THINNING
OF THE CLOUDS.
HAVEN’T SEEN A TON OF SUNSHINE
BUT THIN ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE SUN