Pointing to yesterday’s national tally of 100,000 new cases of the coronavirus as a new single-day record in America, and warning that if nothing changes in the days ahead, Michigan’s death rate from COVID could exceed 100 new deaths every day by the end of the year, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and State Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun stepped to the press conference microphones today asking for the Michigan Legislature to put their stamp of approval on rules requiring masks and other safety protocols across the state.
Whitmer says we “have to get the politics out of masking up,” and wants the Legislature to codify the rules established by the Department of Health & Human Services calling for masks and social distancing.
The governor says “the pandemic has ravaged Michigan, more than 190,000 people have had the virus and more than 7,400 have died, and we’re now seeing record numbers in both cases and hospitalizations.” She adds, “We need to grit our teeth and rise to the challenge, because fighting the virus must be a team sport.” She says that she is ready to work hand-in-hand with the Michigan Legislature to get mask rules approved by lawmakers, because the cases per million number in the state has soared ever since the Michigan Supreme Court threw out her Executive Orders on multiple fronts. Whitmer has sent a letter to the Republican legislative leaders, “Urging them to pass legislation requiring all Michiganders to wear masks in indoor public spaces and crowded outdoor areas.”
She again has doubled down on masking as critical to controlling the virus saying, “Masking up could not be more critical” to successfully stemming the rise, suggesting, “If the Legislature is serious about fighting this virus and saving lives, they’ll start by passing the most important, life-saving rule of all: Wear A Mask.”
Looking ahead to the holidays, the governor says, “We will get through this together, but we must take care of each other as we head into the winter.” She encourages family members at Thanksgiving to heed MDHHS guidelines including:
- Get together outside whenever possible. You have up to 20 times higher risk of getting sick inside.
- If you get together inside, include no more than two households and 10 people.
- Wash hands regularly and try not to share utensils.
- Wear a mask — Take it off when you eat or drink, then put it back on.
- Keep six feet apart as much as you can.
- When possible, keep voices down; high volume can increase COVID transmission by 30 times.
Addressing the rise in cases during the pandemic, the Gov. Whitmer and Dr. Khaldun also are urging employers to maintain remote work policies as much as possible, saying, “Employers must create a policy prohibiting in-person work for employees to the extent that their work activities can feasibly be completed remotely.”
The governor also called on the President and Congress to provide help to the nation including:
- Help for unemployed workers…
- Support for small businesses and women and minority-owned businesses…
- More resources to safely reopen schools…
- Increased testing and PPE supplies to keep people safe…
- State and local aid…
Before addressing the latest pandemic numbers, the governor also addressed the historic election numbers in Michigan this week, saying that Michigan’s 71-percent participation rate, more than 5.2-million votes, and over 3-million absentee ballots “shattered records” in the state and was the largest turnout in more than 60-years in the Great Lakes state. She also applauded the winners in Tuesday’s election, even as ballot counting continues.
