Detroit’s 36th District Court restricts in-person access as COVID-19 cases rise

By Orlander Brand-Williams | The Detroit News

Detroit’s 36th District Court is restricting entry into the courthouse starting Tuesday in an effort to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19, court officials announced Monday.

Individuals with scheduled hearings or are who are seeking to pay a bond will be allowed entry into the building at 421 Madison Street in downtown Detroit.

Court officials said the restrictions are “due to the rapid and dramatic increase in the City of Detroit’s COVID-19 positivity rate” and the necessity to limit in-person transactions to every possible extent.

Payments for tickets, fines and other court costs, new filings and other transactions may be handled online.

Court officials also are reminding the public that payments can be made through the mail, online, or at one of the DivDat kiosks located outside of the courthouse and throughout the Metro Detroit area (see https://divdat.com for locations).

Individuals can also use their mobile devices to access DivDat Mobile Pay.

Court officials say it is necessary “that these steps are taken to protect the people who work and conduct business at the Court, and to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. We will continue to monitor the situation and will update you with any necessary information. The Court appreciates the patience and understanding of all parties during this time.”

Statewide positivity rates for COVID-19 tests are about 32%. In Detroit, the positivity rate is 40.4%, according to the Detroit Health Department website.

Michigan on Monday added 44,524 confirmed cases of COVID-19 over three days and 56 deaths from the virus, including cases from Saturday and Sunday.

The state averaged 14,841 cases per day over the three days. The newest additions come three days after the state set a record of more than 20,000 cases per day on Friday, up from 13,673 new cases per day on Wednesday.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also reported 4,580 adults were hospitalized with confirmed infections, the highest number during the pandemic so far. About 81% of the state’s inpatient hospital beds are occupied.

For more information, visit the 36th District Court website at www.36thdistrictcourt.org or call (313) 965-2200.

Link to Original Article:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/01/10/detroits-36th-district-court-restricts-person-access-covid-19-cases-rise/9161807002/