Gov. Whitmer: “Weeks Out” From COVID-19 Peak
Cases of COVID-19 in Michigan have topped 10,000, with African Americans being disproportionately affected. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the situation Detroit Today.
The number of coronavirus cases continue to jump every day in Michigan.
“Poverty is a pre-existing condition.” — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Confirmed cases now top 10,000 with experts saying the peak could still be weeks away. In response, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has closed schools for the remainder of the year and proposed extending Michigan’s state of emergency for an additional 70 days.
Listen: Governor Whitmer on the state’s response to the mounting COVID-19 crisis.
Guest
Governor Gretchen Whitmer says her decision to close schools came from the guidance of models and data showing an increasingly dire situation for Michiganders.
“It has become very clear that we’re weeks out from the apex of COVID-19, we know that it’s not safe yet to send our kids back into the schools,” say Gov. Whitmer. The last few weeks leading up to the decision to close schools have been spent addressing the unique challenges of remote learning for each school district, says Whitmer.
On the newly released data showing racial disparity in infection rates and COVID-19 outcomes across the state, Governor Whitmer says, “What we do know is that poverty is a pre-existing condition.”
The Governor says that it’s imperative to understand the full scope of the problem in order to enact policy with equity in mind.
“One size does not fit all,” says Whitmer.
