Saying, “The curve looks like it’s starting to flatten,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered another update to the people of the state this afternoon, but stopped short of offering up any finite timeline for a re-opening of the state’s economy.
Admitting that the improving picture, “means that all of these incredible measures we’ve taken may really be starting to work,” Whitmer says, “No one wants to move on to the next phase as much as I do.” She spoke of lots of sleepless nights, and said, “I’d much rather be working on fixing the damn roads,” but cautioned that there is still work to be done.
Promising those who are worried about getting past the pandemic, Whitmer says, “We will get past this,” adding, “We are crunching the data every day,” and working every day writing the plan to re-engage safely at the right time.
She tells Michiganders, “I want you to have your freedom. I want mine, too. But, we have a few tough days ahead of us, and we have to get through this,” before re-opening the state’s economy, even in rural areas that have been far less affected than the Detroit metro area and some other larger population pockets because just one person can infect 40 others and then it multiplies rapidly.
Saying the pandemic is “A challenge unlike we’ve ever confronted before, we are working around the clock to get things back to normal.” She identified four key criteria that she is looking at before considering the re-opening of parts of the Michigan economy:
- A sustained reduction in case counts…
- The enhanced ability to test and trace…
- Sufficient health care capacity…
- Best practices for the workplace…
Cautioning, “We can’t afford a second wave,” she reminds everyone, “It’s going to be incredibly important that we do this right.”
The Governor also took up the task of “Myth Busting.” Countering reports on social media, Whitmer says, “Nothing in my executive orders prevents you from buying a car seat for children…or bug spray…or an American flag, and we’re not preventing home-schooling.” She asks everyone to understand that there is “a lot of false information, sometimes under the guise of political posturing,” so she asks you to simply read her executive orders for yourself to see that none of those things are actually in there.
Promising, “We’ll get there…but not yet,” the Governor says, “It’s okay to be frustrated and to be angry. You can even direct your anger at me, I’ve got thick skin,” but asks everyone to avoid risky behavior.
She says, “While some of us are grieving the loss of our freedom, others are grieving the loss of our family members.”
Jeff Donofrio, Director of the State’s Director of Labor & Economic Opportunity joined Gov. Whitmer and addressed the frustrations of those engaging the state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency, promising, “Everybody who needs unemployment and is entitled to it will get it.” He says that already $350-million have been sent out to more than 600,000 Michiganders, and his team is working around the clock to enhance capacities, answer queries and get claims filed and filled. He asks for everyone’s patience and encourages off hours contact online as the best chance to connect.
Gov. Whitmer says that since Thursday:
- She has (today) joined a coalition of 12 governors who have called on the Trump administration to allow for a special enrollment period of at least 30 days on the federal health care exchange…
- Worked with nearly all of the state’s health insurance companies to waive cost-sharing, including co-pays, deductibles, and co-insurance for COVID-19 testing and treatments…
- Announced 13 new or expanded COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites in Detroit, Flint, and throughout Michigan (including one in Benton Harbor) that will provide greater access to residents across Michigan and a new lab to speed up test results…
- Confirmed with DTE that they will deliver about 2-million N95 face masks to Michigan, on top of the 300,000 they have already delivered.
