Detroit set to restore water service amid coronavirus fears

DETROIT (AP) - Thousands of Detroit residents who have had their water service shut off due to nonpayment of bills can have it restored under a plan that aims to allow them to wash their hands at home as a way to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

The Coronavirus Water Restart Plan will be in effect for the duration of the global outbreak of the virus, officials said Monday.

Close to 3,000 households in the city have had water service disconnected, according to a Detroit Water and Sewerage Department spokesman.

Several thousand others have been notified this year of pending service disruption. The shutoffs have spawned protests in recent years by various groups in the city.

The state will cover the costs of service reconnection for the first 30 days of the plan, according to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office. Customers then can have service restored or keep their water on for $25 per month.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

So far, there have been five confirmed cases in the state of Michigan of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. More than 500 infections have been reported in the United States.

"We know that washing hands is an important defense to this virus," said Gary Brown, water department director.

The amount a Detroit water customer owes will be deferred until "after the COVID-19 situation is under control," the water department said in a release.