Michigan Gov. Whitmer extends state of emergency declaration for COVID-19 through Oct. 1
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday she is extending the emergency and disaster declaration through Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m.
The state of emergency had been set to expire on September 4, 2020, but has been extended. The extension comes after Gov. Whitmer announced gyms can begin reopening Sept. 9 and that contact sports can also resume, both with limitations and safety measures intact.
Executive Order 2020-177 will allow the state to continue to mobilize resources and take the reasonable and necessary steps to protect Michiganders and their families, Whitmer's office said.
“Last week, Michigan surpassed 100,000 cases and families continue to lose loved ones to COVID-19. With over 6,500 deaths, the virus continues to threaten the lives of Michiganders every day. COVID-19 is a novel virus with many unknowns, but we do know that it is widespread, it is easily transmitted, and its effects can be fatal. We must continue to take this seriously and do everything we can to protect ourselves and all Michiganders from COVID-19,” Whitmer said in a release. “By extending the state of emergency, we can continue the crucial work needed to save lives. Since March, I have been committed to using every tool at my disposal to protect families, frontline workers, and our economy from the threat of COVID-19. I urge Michiganders to do their part by wearing a mask, practicing physical distancing and staying safe and smart.”
In early August, every region in Michigan saw an uptick in new cases which recently put Michigan past the 100,000 COVID-19 cases mark. The state’s percent positivity remains below the national average: in Michigan, 3.3% of all COVID-19 tests administered were positive, whereas nationally it was 6.1%. Additionally, Michigan has a considerably lower percent positivity than surrounding states.
Six months ago, gyms were forced to close in Michigan when all non-essential businesses were shuttered. Since then, many other businesses have reopened as the state continues to battle the spread of COVID-19. Movie theaters, bowling alleys and other social businesses were not included in her executive order.
Gyms and movie theaters in the Upper Peninsula and Traverse City regions have been open since June 5 when those two regions were moved into phase 5 of the state's restart program.
In other coronavirus news in Michigan, earlier this week the state said it will no longer be announcing new cases and deaths on Sundays, citing erratic data and lower testing being conducted on weekends. Instead, Sunday's data will be rolled into Monday's reports.
CASES PER MILLION PEOPLE PER DAY
Overall, Michigan is seeing an average of 59 cases per million people per day.
The Detroit region is still seeing the highest cases and currently has 66 cases per million people per day but that rate is continuing to decrease.
The Traverse City region and Upper Peninsula both have over 40 cases per million people per day and health officials are watching both areas closely. The Traverse City region has seen an increase over the past three weeks and both regions continue to have cases higher than they did a few months ago.
The Grand Rapids region has seen a recent increase in case rate and is at 59 cases per million people per day. Its percent positive rate has also increased.
The Saginaw region is at 56 cases per million people per day but has been trending downward.
The Kalamazoo region is at 50 cases per million people per day and has been increasing.
The Jackson and Lansing regions are both under 40 cases per million people per day and have been declining.
Information from Gov. Whitmer's 9/2 news conference
TESTING AND PERCENT POSITIVE
Testing continues to look good. Dr. Khaldun said Michigan is testing more than 30,000 people per day, which is more than 2% of our state's population every week.
She also said last week Michigan ranked 5th in the country for the number of daily tests.
She said the percent positive overall in Michigan has decreased to 3.1% from 3.3% the week prior.
The goal is to get the percent positive below 3%, which would indicate community spread is not happening.
Information from Gov. Whitmer's 9/2 news conference
OUTBREAKS
Over the past week, local health departments have identified 93 new outbreaks.
Michigan officials are now also beginning to work with local health departments to be able to identify and publicize outbreaks at schools. Dr. Khaldun said that information is expected to begin being available in mid-September.
Information from Gov. Whitmer's 9/2 news conference
CONTACT TRACING
Authorities are still urging everyone to answer their phones if you get a call from the health department. Text messages are also now being sent in advance of the incoming call.
Talking with the health department helps track where others may have been exposed to the virus.
Meanwhile, everyone is also still reminded to keep doing the basics to stay healthy - wear a mask, wash your hands and keep your distance from other people.