Justice Division won’t open civil rights investigation into COVID deaths in nursing houses

The Justice Department will not launch a civil rights investigation into COVID-19 deaths in Michigan’s nursing homes.

The notification to Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday came almost 11 months after the civil rights division of the department requested data from the Democratic governors of four states, including Michigan, and said it was considering investigating under a federal law that would protect people’s rights in public nursing homes.

Most nursing homes are privately owned. Republicans have criticized Whitmer for allowing recovered COVID-19 patients to return to nursing homes, but said it was in line with federal guidelines.

This is a developing story.