Coronavirus in Michigan: Here’s what to know
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has extended Michigan’s state of emergency until July 16.
The state of emergency, which was first implemented at the end of March due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, was set to expire Friday (June 19).
Whitmer made it clear during a Wednesday briefing that it would be extended, and on Thursday, she made it official.
“The aggressive measures we took at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have worked to flatten the curve, but there is still more to be done to prevent a second wave,” Whitmer said. “We owe it to the heroes on the front lines to keep doing our part by wearing a mask when in public and practicing social distancing. Now is not the time to get complacent. We must continue to stay vigilant and flexible in order to reduce the chance of a second wave.”
Michigan was under a stay-at-home order for more than two months before it was lifted June 1. Most of the state is currently in phase four of the governor’s reopening plan, with regions six and eight in phase five.
Cases up to 60,618; Death toll now at 5,818
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Michigan has risen to 60,618 as of Thursday, including 5,818 deaths, state officials report.
Thursday’s update represents 225 new cases and 26 additional deaths. Wednesday’s total was 60,393 confirmed cases and 5,792 deaths.
New cases and deaths continue to slow in Michigan, along with hospitalizations. Testing continues to ramp up, with an average of more than 14,000 per day in the last two weeks.
Michigan has reported 44,964 COVID-19 recoveries. The state also reports “active cases,”which were listed at 9,700 as of Tuesday.
Here’s a look at the newest COVID data in Michigan:
- View more: Michigan COVID-19 data
Juneteenth: The story behind the freedom celebration for Black Americans
Summertime in much of the United States represents joy and liberty for Americans from tyranny, slavery and -- in Michigan -- cold winter months.
During this season of freedom Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4, a holiday honoring the country’s adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Many Black Americans also celebrate a day of freedom called Juneteenth on June 19, which commemorates the day the last African American slaves were notified of their freedom in 1865. President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery in 1863 when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, but the news did not reach slaves in Texas until two years later at the end of the Civil War.
Slaves in Union-held states amid the war were not covered under Lincoln’s proclamation and were not officially freed until the establishment of the Thirteenth Amendment, which formally abolished slavery nationwide on Dec. 5, 1865.