The City of Detroit will restore water to homes that had their service shut off because of unpaid bills amid growing concerns surrounding the Coronavirus.
In a report from FOX2 Detroit, the city's mayor, Mike Duggan, announced a plan allowing those residents with unpaid bills to restore water to their homes for $25 a month. Duggan added that the state of Michigan will pay the initial $25 reactivation fee, but after that residents will be responsible for paying the monthly $25 fee. It is unknown how long it will take for water services to resume in those homes. The plan was primarily created so residents could wash their hands to avoid coronavirus, although — as FOX2 noted — there are no cases of coronavirus in Michigan.
Since the plan's announcement, a number of people have reacted to the news on social media. Abdul El-Sayed, a former head of Detroit's health department, tweeted: "About damn time. It's been six years since the U.N. declared Detroit water shutoffs an insult to human rights."
\u201cAbout damn time. It\u2019s been 6 yrs since the UN declared Detroit water shutoffs an insult to human rights. \n\nAnd ALL the credit goes to amazing leaders like @WeThePeopleDet, Hydrate Detroit, @PeoplesWaterDet, and so many others.\u201d
— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@Dr. Abdul El-Sayed) 1583772115
Bernie Sanders also addressed the news on Twitter.
— (@)
"It's good news that Detroit is restoring water to thousands of households. But it shouldn't take a crisis like the spread of coronavirus to restore people's right to drinking water," he tweeted. "We are going to guarantee the right to clean water for all Americans."
