UNDATED (WHTC-AM/FM) – The landscape over Michigan’s COVID 19 response had changed over the weekend.
The state Supreme Court’s split decision to overturn lower court rulings that upheld Governor Whitmer’s indefinite powers under the 1945 Emergency Powers of Governor Act has put the question of just what is required and what is not into some question. On Monday morning, the Allegan County Health Department reiterated its position to maintain its following of state Department of Health and Human Services orders, saying in a statement the “importance of consistency and keeping core COVID 19 mitigation strategies in place while more specific guidance is developed. At a minimum, these strategies include proper mask use, social distancing, frequent handwashing, and staying home if you are sick.” The Ottawa County Health Department issued a similar statement a short time later.
First term state House Representative Luke Meerman of Coopersville, who advocates a local approach to addressing COVID 19 issues, as opposed to imposing statewide mandates, has no problems with this joint stance. “I’m glad of the way they said it,” Meerman said during his monthly appearance on “WHTC Talk of the Town” on Monday. “I would encourage those who are at risk to continue wearing masks, stay home if you are sick, and continue to take it seriously. This is not something that just disappeared because of a Supreme Court ruling. We need to continue to be smart about it.”
Governor Whitmer expressed her disappointment in the Supreme Court ruling, pointing to the outbreak at the White House, centered on President Trump, as proof that COVID 19 remains a “very real threat.”
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