LANSING, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) — Michigan residents are beset with the latest COVID-19 surge, but in a press conference Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the stations chief medical officer, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun and Spectrum Health CEO Tina Freese Decker urged people to double down on limiting the virus, as well as get vaccinated.
Whitmer and Khaldun also appealed to high-schools and their sports teams to take a two-week post-spring-break pause. Whitmer is asking schools to go on remote learning and sports teams to pause their seasons for 14 days. She also asked that educators who’ve traveled for spring break get tested for COVID-19 before returning to the classroom.
“I know Michiganders have made extraordinary sacrifices over the past year,” Whitmer said. “I want to get back to normal like everyone else … but we’ve more more work to do.”
The virus typically moves from one person to the next within a two-week window, so the pause is aimed at slowing the viral spread. Khaldun and Freese Decker noted that the coronavirus variant, B.1.1.7, is now the predominant strain in Michigan and Michigan is leading the nation in the number of people who have gotten it.
All three leaders acknowledged that, 13 months into dealing the pandemic-related restrictions, everyone wants to move forward.
Whitmer, to the surprise of some people urging her to issue health-department orders with new restrictions, instead asked people to take personal responsibility by voluntarily redoubling their prevention efforts. She said mandates for wearing masks, social distancing, gathering limits and testing remain in place.
She also asked the Biden administration to figure out a way to help states like Michigan and others experiencing surges to get a surge of vaccines, especially the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as well as other supplies and personnel.
The federal government has offered more support, but Whitmer said it isn’t enough, echoing the letter Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, and Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, sent to the Biden administration asking for support.
Last year, she took a lot of heat for criticizing the federal government for not having a strategy, she said, add that, while the Biden administration does have a strategy, it is imperfect and there are “different points of view” about it.
Michigan’s three challenges in fighting the fourth surge, she said, include personal compliance with the rules, mobility and variants.
“Policy changes alone won’t reduce the spread,” she said, appealing to each Michigan resident to follow the existing rules for masking up, limiting indoor gathering to fewer than 25 people; frequent hand washing, testing and getting vaccinated. She implored people to switch from indoor dining in favor of outdoor dining or carry out.
The state will host a webinar Saturday for anyone who wants to host a pop-up clinic.
This story will be updated.
