Gov. Whitmer says Michiganโs tighter restrictions are reason for improved COVID situation
Gretchen Whitmer said the reason Michigan is in a stronger COVID-19 position than many other states is the โpauseโ that tightened restrictions and created an incremental reopening process. Whitmer was asked about the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Associationโs plan for expanding indoor dining capacity. Right now, restaurants are limited to 25% capacity and must close by 10 p.m. โMichigan is in a stronger position than most other states in the nation right now,โ Whitmer said. She called on the Michigan Legislature to work with her to pass the MI COVID Recovery Plan.
A message from Michiganโs top doctor to residents who havenโt been able to get COVID vaccine yet
LANSING, Mich. โ The top health official in Michigan shared a message for residents in the state who havenโt yet been able to get their COVID-19 vaccine. Whitmerโs latest COVID updateAs of Wednesday (Feb. 17), the state of Michigan has administered 1,657,215 vaccines, according to Gov. AdBut still, there are millions of residents who arenโt eligible to receive the vaccine, and many who are eligible and canโt get appointments due to supply. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, shared a message Wednesday for people who want to get vaccinated, but havenโt been able to yet. AdโWe will all keep working around the clock until everyone who wants a vaccine is able to get one.
Here are Michiganโs updated COVID-19 metrics -- steady improvement continues for all 3
LANSING, Mich. โ Michiganโs three primary COVID-19 metrics have been steadily improving for weeks, and the progress is continuing, according to the stateโs top health official. Gretchen Whitmerโs briefing, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, updated the stateโs case, positivity and hospitalization rates. โI continue to be very encouraged by the data we are seeing in the state, with regards to COVID-19,โ Khaldun said. AdMichiganโs case rate continues to decline and is down to 113 cases per million people, she said. For example, last week Michigan was at 4.5% positivity.
157 cases of more contagious COVID-19 variant found across 12 Michigan counties
LANSING, Mich. โ Michigan has confirmed 157 cases of the more contagious COVID-19 B117 variant across 12 counties in the state, officials said. โThis means isolation, quarantine and frequent testing whenever we identify outbreaks associated with the variant.โThe B117 variant was first identified in the United Kingdom. A person connected to the University of Michigan athletic department tested positive for the B117 variant after traveling to the UK. But since then, Michigan has confirmed cases in many other counties, Khaldun said. AdOn Tuesday, officials announced 90 cases of that variant have been identified at the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Ionia.
11 takeaways from Whitmerโs COVID update: Variant spreading, Michigan vaccinations, relief money
Gretchen Whitmer provided an update Wednesday on the stateโs handling of COVID-19, talking about the more contagious variant, vaccinations and whatโs next for Michigan. The money will come from the Michigan Small Business Survival Grant program. โThe Michigan Small Business Survival Grant Program provides crucial support to Michiganโs small businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,โ Whitmer said. โI continue to be very encouraged by the data we are seeing in the state, with regards to COVID-19,โ Khaldun said. โAs we continue to see our supply increase, we will be able to include more and more providers across the state,โ Khaldun said.
Everything you should know about COVID in Michigan before Gov. Whitmerโs briefing
Hereโs everything you should know about COVID-19 in the state before the governorโs update. Last week (Feb. 9), Michigan reported 144 cases of COVID-19 per million population per day, Khaldun said. Last week, Khaldun announced 45 cases had been confirmed across 10 Michigan counties. Starting immediately, mortuary service workers who routinely work with infectious materials, will be able to be vaccinated as part of group 1A, the state announced. AdNow, providers with specific plans to remove barriers to access across the state will also be allowed to request vaccines for people age 60 and up, the state announced.
Watch: Michigan Gov. Whitmerโs full (Feb. 17) COVID-19 press briefing
LANSING, Mich. โ Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer provided an update Wednesday on the stateโs handling of COVID-19. Whitmerโs latest COVID updateWhitmer was joined by Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. They discussed the continuing spread of the B117 variant in Michigan, how the stateโs restrictions helped improve COVID-19 numbers and provided an update on vaccination distribution. AdYou can watch the full replay of the briefing in the video posted above.
2 cases of COVID-19 B117 variant confirmed in Detroit, mayor says
LANSING, Mich. โ Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said there are two confirmed cases of the COVID-19 B117 variant in the city. The variant, which was originally discovered in the United Kingdom, is known to spread more easily than the previous strand of COVID-19. Gretchen Whitmer said the state has confirmed a total of 45 cases of the B117 variant across 10 different counties. Whitmerโs COVID briefing on TuesdayโWhile our numbers continue to trend overall in the right direction, Iโm very concerned about what we are seeing with the new B117 variant,โ Khaldun said. All three of those metrics are improving, but the spread of the COVID-19 variant puts that progress in jeopardy.
As Michiganโs COVID numbers improve, Gov. Whitmer warns success is โfragileโ
LANSING, Mich. โ Michigan officials once again reported promising movement for the stateโs COVID-19 numbers, but Gov. Whitmerโs COVID briefing on TuesdayMichigan is down to 144 cases of COVID-19 per million people per day. AdAfter the briefing ended, Michigan announced 563 daily COVID-19 cases. โJust as it has been these past 11 months, our success at this point is fragile,โ Whitmer said. โThatโs the nature of this virus.โAt one point, Michigan was reporting more than 9,000 COVID-19 cases per day.
South Africa variant of COVID-19 hasnโt been confirmed in Michigan โat this pointโ
Michigan officials are testing for the South Africa variant of COVID-19. LANSING, Mich. โ The variant of COVID-19 linked to South Africa has not yet been found in Michigan, according to the stateโs top doctor. Whitmerโs COVID briefing on TuesdayAdBut at this point, Michigan doesnโt have any confirmed cases of the COVID-19 variant thatโs been traced back to South Africa. โFor the South Africa variant, Iโll say, we do not, at this point, know of any of that variant that is located in the state of Michigan,โ Khaldun said. Michigan laboratories are doing whole-genome sequencing for any possible samples of the South Africa variant, she said.
Whitmer on COVID battle with state GOP: โI will be judged by the voters when Iโm up for reelectionโ
Gretchen Whitmer was asked Tuesday about her latest battle with state Republicans over the handling of COVID-19, she said judgement of her actions will be left up to Michigan voters when election time arrives. AdโIโm not going to predict where itโs headed, and Iโm not going to use words like that,โ Whitmer said. I think, work, live, breath this job 24 hours a day, seven days a week. AdLegislators had already revealed a week prior that they planned to let the state of emergency expire, only to watch Whitmer announce an extension without their approval that very day. Michigan legislators filed a lawsuit against Whitmer, saying she acted โbeyond her authorityโ by extending the state of emergency without their backing.
Michiganโs COVID-19 metrics improve once again despite variant spread
LANSING, Mich. โ Despite the continuing spread of a COVID-19 variant in the state, Michiganโs overall virus numbers continue to improve, according to officials. The case rate is steadily declining and is down 81% from the mid-November peak, she said. The number of new COVID-19 cases was 563. Since the start of the pandemic, the state has confirmed 569,980 COVID-19 cases and 14,965 virus-related deaths. These improvements come despite the spread of the B117 variant across the state.
Michigan โstrongly encouragingโ school districts to provide as much in-person learning as possible
Gretchen Whitmer said the state is โstrongly encouragingโ school districts to provide as much in-person learning as possible. In January, Whitmer set a goal for all Michigan school districts to offer an in-person learning option for students by the start of March. Teachers have been eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine for more than a month now, as the state hopes to make a return to in-person learning safer. Whitmerโs COVID briefing on TuesdayโWe are strongly encouraging districts provide as much face-to-face learning as possible, because it is just crucial for the success of our kids,โ Whitmer said. โWe also know that in-person learning can be done safely, and in many school districts across the state, this is already happening,โ said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
45 total cases of COVID-19 B117 variant confirmed in 10 different Michigan counties
LANSING, Mich. โ The COVID-19 B117 variant continues to spread in Michigan, and the state has now confirmed a total of 45 cases across 10 different counties. Whitmerโs COVID briefing on TuesdayโWhile our numbers continue to trend overall in the right direction, Iโm very concerned about what we are seeing with the new B117 variant,โ Khaldun said. All three of those metrics are improving, but the spread of the COVID-19 variant puts that progress in jeopardy. AdThe number of new COVID-19 cases was 563. Since the start of the pandemic, the state has confirmed 569,980 COVID-19 cases and 14,965 virus-related deaths.
Whatโs the likelihood that spread of COVID variant will lead to another lockdown in Michigan?
LANSING, Mich. โ As a variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread in Michigan, Gov. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, revealed Tuesday that the state has confirmed 45 cases of the COVID-19 B117 variant across 10 Michigan counties. Whitmerโs COVID briefing on TuesdayAdโWhile our numbers continue to trend overall in the right direction, Iโm very concerned about what we are seeing with the new B117 variant,โ Khaldun said. The number of new COVID-19 cases was 563. Since the start of the pandemic, the state has confirmed 569,980 COVID-19 cases and 14,965 virus-related deaths.
7 takeaways from Whitmerโs COVID briefing: Could Michigan variant spread lead to another lockdown?
More cases of B117 variantLast week, Khaldun said 28 combined cases of the COVID-19 variant B117 had been confirmed in Wayne and Washtenaw counties. AdSouth Africa variantAt this point, Michigan doesnโt have any confirmed cases of the COVID-19 variant thatโs been traced back to South Africa. โFor the South Africa variant, Iโll say, we do not at this point know of any of that variant that is located in the state of Michigan,โ Khaldun said. โBut we have not identified that one, as of yet in the state,โ Khaldun said. COVID vaccinations in MichiganLast week, Whitmer announced more than 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in Michigan.
Detroit mayor holds briefing to discuss DDOT driver walk-out
DETROIT โ Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is holding a briefing at noon Saturday, Oct. 3 to discuss the ongoing Detroit Department of Transportation driver work stoppage. The briefing comes as city officials try getting drivers back to work. Todayโs briefing is taking place at Spirit Plaza right outside the Coleman A Young Municipal Center.
LIVE STREAM: Michigan Gov. Whitmer holds coronavirus briefing
Gretchen Whitmer will hold a briefing on the states ongoing response to coronavirus (COVID-19) on Wednesday morning. Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun will hold the briefing at 11 a.m. -- watch it live in the video player above. This will be the first COVID-19 briefing held by the governor in more than a week. COVID-19 cases have continued to slow in Michigan. The state reported 74 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, June 15, and has not had a daily case count of more than 300 since May 31.
LIVE STREAM: Oakland County unveils guidance on reopening business amid COVID-19
County Executive David Coulter will unveil the reopening kits and guidance for Oakland County small businesses during a news conference at the warehouse where the kits are being assembled. The county plans to distribute 10,000 kits utilizing Global Office Solutions of Novi and various downtown development authorities, chambers of commerce, Main Street Oakland County communities, municipalities, and more. Watch Live below:
Michigan Gov. Whitmer holds coronavirus news briefing
Published: May 26, 2020, 9:11 am Updated: May 26, 2020, 3:43 pmDETROIT Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer held a briefing on Tuesday to address the states ongoing response to coronavirus. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended the stay-at-home order late last week, but there are still segments of the state that will reopen this week. Michigan is now under a stay-at-home order until June 12, and a state of emergency until June 19.
LIVE STREAM: Michigan Gov. Whitmer holds briefing on coronavirus response
Gretchen Whitmer is expected to hold a briefing on Thursday morning to address the states ongoing response to coronavirus. Whitmer sent a letter to President Trump requesting federal aid in responding to the catastrophic flooding in Midland County. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate as water surged into their streets, homes, and businesses in the county of Midland, said Gov. The governor then called on President Trump to declare an emergency for Midland County on an expedited basis. Whitmer on mid-Michigan floods: Devastation, possible legal action, peak flood level
Michigan Gov. Whitmer mulls short-term stay-home extension, but reopen plan in works
Michigan reported 999 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the second straight day showing an increase after several days of slowing growth. Whitmer said the state is increasing testing capacity, with new sites opening across the area this week. Stay-home orderMichiganโs current stay-home order expires on May 1. Whitmer said itโs likely the state will need a short-term extension of the stay-home order, but said sheโs working on plans to reopen in phases, and will offer details as soon as Friday. New today: AP-NORC poll: Few Americans support easing virus protectionsโA second wave would be devastating to our state,โ Whitmer said.
Gov. Whitmer points to hopeful signs in Michiganโs COVID-19 fight, says next 10 days are key
Whitmer said the state is seeing a slowing of COVID-19 inpatients in hospitals, but data shows more than 4,600 hospitalized in the state. Michigan COVID-19 data. Whitmer also said testing is picking up, while positive tests are not increasing in line with testing. Michigan COVID-19 data. (MDHHS)Michigan COVID-19 data.