Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to give COVID-19 update at 3pm on Friday
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will give an update Friday, May 15th on the state's progress in the fight against COVID-19.
Gov. Whitmer and Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun will speak from Lansing at 3 p.m. Friday. You can watch it in the player below or by going to fox2detroit.com/live
On Thursday, Gov. Whitmer spoke with multiple media outlets one-on-one, including FOX 2. Last week, she rolled out the MI Safe Start Plan - a six-phase plan to re-engaging Michigan's economy. She has said we're in the "flattening" phase, which means daily new cases and deaths are relatively constant but transmission rates have fallen to manageable levels.
According to Gov. Whitmer's plan, Michigan will move into Phase 4, the "improving" phase, when the number of new cases and deaths has decreased for a period of time, and when new outbreaks can be quickly identified and contained.
Moving into Phase 4 would mean more lower-risk businesses can open, like retail and office spaces. Dining-in at restaurants won't be allowed until Phase 5 under her plan.
RELATED: When will Michigan enter Phase 4 of reopening, and what it will include
When asked if she expects to be able to lift some restrictions from Phase 3 by Memorial Day weekend, Gov. Whitmer said Friday she hopes so.
"It is my goal to take that next step, to permit some smaller gatherings. That's my goal," she said.
The governor will speak the same day a judge heard opening arguments in a lawsuit filed by Republicans, saying she does not have the power to extend emergency declaration.
The mounting political turmoil between the governor and her GOP counterparts bubbled to the surface the same day Whitmer extended her emergency declaration until May 28. Arguing that she needs approval from the legislature in order to extend her emergency declaration, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) and House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) believe her new order is invalid.
Michigan is currently under its third emergency declaration since the arrival of the coronavirus in the state, which was first confirmed on March 10.