Another 53 Michiganders were reported to have died from the virus, which is the seven-day average of deaths. Overall, 295,177 Michigan residents have tested positive for the virus and 8,377 have died from it.

1 In 3 Symptomatic Henry Ford Testing Positive For COVID
One in three people who are showing up sick at the Henry Ford Health System and are being tested for COVID-19 are coming back with a positive as the coronavirus has reached "community spread" levels, the system's chief clinical officer said Friday.

Dr. Adnan Munkarah told reporters he's optimistic that some vaccines will be made available to some by the end of the year, but for now COVID-19 cases are climbing. The hospitals are not turning away people who show up with other health problems and capacity is reaching a breaking point.

Over the last seven days, 169 health system employees tested positive for COVID, which averages out to about 20 to 30 per day, adding "significant strain" on the system.

"We are very concerned that if community spread is not curtailed, if we're not able to stop community spread, health care is not going to be sustainable, not just for this health care system, not just for the Southeast Michigan region, but throughout the state," Munkarah said. The physician urged residents to not hold traditional Thanksgiving get-togethers with family to reduce the risk of spread. He added a negative test today doesn't mean a person couldn't test positive for COVID tomorrow.

The percentage of non-symptomatic Michiganders receiving a COVID-19 test who are coming back positive is 7%, he said. Also, because of the "significant demand" on tests across the nation, there has been a slowdown in reporting.

In other news, the White House reported that as of Nov. 12, a partnership had been made with large chain pharmacies and independent regional groups to deliver safe and effective vaccines.

If the four-member board of two Republicans and two Democrats deadlock certification, the Court of Appeals likely will order the body to certify the results anyway. If that order is defied, they risk being held in contempt of court.

Official results filed with the Secretary of State show Democrat Joe Biden beating Republican President Donald Trump by 154,188 votes.

And while the campaign of U.S. Senate candidate John James is urging the Board of State Canvassers to delay the certification for two weeks so a full audit of election results can be done amid concerns of fraud, election experts say audits are routinely done after the certification.

James, who lost to U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) by 92,337 votes, has yet to concede the election, which matters little after the canvassers make the Nov. 3 election results official.

"We agree: The people of the state of Michigan deserve election outcomes that they can trust," James said. "In order to maintain that trust, the state owes both ballot access and ballot integrity. If both are not provided in balanced proportion, then the one side will always feel that they have not only lost but that they have been cheated."

Republicans are desperately holding on to some hope that enough fraud can be sniffed out in Wayne County and other jurisdictions to overturn the result, although no evidence of any such widespread effort has emerged.

At the center of storm is Trump, who Democrats fear is trying to strongarm Republican election officials to hold up official election certification on dubious claims of election fraud.

Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, the state's former attorney general, and former U.S. Assistant Attorney Barbara McQuade agreed that Trump could be subject to both state and federal criminal prosecution if he encouraged a state or local official "to engage in misconduct or neglect their duties."

That statement came in response to a question about the possibility that Trump's Tuesday call to Wayne County Board of Canvassers Chair Monica Palmer led her and fellow board member William Hartmann to sign affidavits to withdraw their "yes" votes to certify the county election results.

Palmer, who held a press conference Friday as well, denied that Trump influenced her desire to change her vote. She said Trump called her after she left the board's Tuesday meeting, and he only expressed concern about her safety and thanked her "for your service."

"That's it," she said.

Palmer, who said she and her family were threatened, said her desire to change her vote came when she was led to believe that the Secretary of State would not do a thorough audit since 70% of the precincts were out of balance. However, the Secretary of State's office announced this week they would be conducting an audit.

When asked how there could be civility at the local level when there is none from the highest point in the White House, Palmer replied: "I take responsibility for my actions; I can't take responsibility for anybody else's."

In a Friday morning call, Steve Liedel of Dykema reminded reporters of the 2006 case of Doyle O'Connor, who faced the suspension of his law license when he refused to certify for the ballot the anti-affirmative action proposal known as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI).

His colleague, Democratic-appointed member Paul Mitchell (not the congressman) was ordered to pay a $250 fine in exchange for accepting a contempt of court charge for also ignoring the Appeals Court order to certify MCRI.

In a conference call Friday morning, Granholm offered a warning: "It's really important for the members of these boards to realize that they have a duty . . . The members of the Board of Canvassers should be very careful of themselves to not put themselves in jeopardy by doing something that is a complete aberration . . .

"The President has a way of getting other people in trouble . . . I would hope that these Michigan officials are not putting themselves in jeopardy by being subjected to political pressure by the losing candidate," she added.

While October's jobless rate is good news, the state notes that non-farm payroll jobs are still down 400,000 below pre-pandemic levels.

"Michigan's labor market continued to show some improvement during October," said Wayne Rourke, associate director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.

The national jobless rate fell by one full percentage point between September and October to 6.9%. Michigan's October rate was 1.4% below the U.S. rate, but for most of 2020, the Michigan rate has exceeded the national average. Over the year, the U.S. unemployment rate advanced by 3.3%. Michigan's over-the-year rate increase was 1.6%.

Other highlights of the report include:

- The Michigan three-month average employment level was 4.5 million. This was 267,000 below the pre-pandemic February 2020 employment level.

- Michigan's three-month average unemployment level was 369,000. This was 189,000 above the February level.

- Over the past 12 months, the state's workforce declined by 1.7% while the national workforce declined by 2.1% over the same period.

While non-farm payroll is still off 400,000 from pre-pandemic levels, in October, the state reported adding 16,000 new jobs - up 0.4%. It was the smallest monthly job gain in the state since pandemic related recalls began in May.

The business service sectors added the most jobs (+6,000); along with trade, transportation and utilities (+6,000); and leisure and hospitality (+6,000). The state's manufacturing industry recorded the largest job decline by shedding 2,000 positions.

The 79-page settlement agreement outlines claims procedures related to minors and legally incapacitated or incompetent individuals, wrongful death claims, settlement allocation and preliminary approval of the class portions of the settlement.

It includes a 43-page settlement grid that provides in-depth details of the proposed compensation categories and criteria, which calls for about 80% of the net fund to be spent on children who were minors when first exposed to the untreated Flint River water. That could include upwards of 12,000 to 13,000 children, with a large majority under age 6.

The settlement earmarks 2% for special education services in Genesee County and another 18% to be spent on claims of adults and for property damaged. Roughly 1% will go toward claims for business losses.

The proposed agreement was submitted to U.S. District Judge Judith Levy, who will decide whether to grant preliminary approval. If she does, Flint residents will have 60 days to register to participate in the settlement program and then another 120 days to file documents to support their claims.

Monetary awards won't be issued, however, until after the settlement receives final approval following a public hearing held by Levy.

"I think it goes a long way to bringing some closure to the people of Flint," co-liaison counsel Hunter Shkolnik said. "The settlement is not curing all problems, but this is what we can do as lawyers on behalf of the people that are affected."

Shkolnik and court-appointed co-lead counsel Ted Leopold said litigation continues against two private engineering firms, Veolia North America and Lockwood Andrews & Newnam.

Those firms are alleged to have failed to provide appropriate professional advice, "greatly adding to the widespread lead contamination of the water into class-members' homes and businesses," the attorneys said in a press release.

Separate litigation against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also continues.

The city of Flint's $20 million share, which needs city council approval, will be paid by its insurers so there is no cost to taxpayers, according to a city press release.

McLaren, who was sued in connection with an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, also kicks in $20 million while Rowe Professional Services Co., a city contractor, is contributing $1.25 million, according to a press release from the attorney general's office.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the settlement is "just one of the many ways" to show support for the city and residents of Flint.

"This is an important step forward in the long process of helping Flint heal and making amends to the people of Flint," the governor said in a video statement.

Attorney General Dana Nessel echoed that sentiment, noting: "Without this settlement, which makes affected children a top priority, Flint residents would have been provided little assurance that their claims would be successful in court, and ongoing litigation could have prolonged their hardships for years. Resolving these legal disputes against the state, and now the other defendants who have joined the settlement, is the best possible outcome for Flint's future."

The city switched its water source in April 2014 while under emergency managers appointed by then-Gov. Rick Snyder. The Flint River water went untreated, allowing lead to leach from older pipes, allegedly causing a myriad of health concerns ranging from skin rashes to death.

Among the lawsuits' claims was environmental racism.

"The fact there's a resolution with the state of Michigan for those types of claims is monumental," Sholknik said. "You just don't see that happening."

It's not known how many people or businesses could be eligible for payments, but Shkolnik estimated that there are at least 20,000 to 30,000 individuals represented by attorneys.

Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint) also praised the settlement, calling it an "important measure of justice because it is an acknowledgment of the irreparable harm done to the families of Flint."

House Minority Leader Christine Greig said, "There remains much more work ahead for the Legislature to ensure these past mistakes will not occur again."