COVID-19 pause extended 12 days
Gov. Whitmer: ‘We cannot risk overwhelming our hospitals further’
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hinted last week about an extension to the state’s three-week pause.
She confirmed it on Monday announcing a 12-day extension by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
“We cannot risk overwhelming our hospitals further. That’s why our hospital systems implored the Department of Health and Human Services to extend the pause. We’re going to give it 12 more days,’’ Whitmer said during a press conference.
The three-week which was to end on Tuesday, Dec. 8, had closed indoor dining at restaurants; in-person learning at high schools, colleges and universities; organized sports except for pro sports; along with casinos, movie theaters, theaters, stadiums, arenas, bowling centers, skating rinks, bingo halls and group fitness classes.
Over the next 12 days the state will look for improvements in three main categories.
First, hospitalizations must at least stabilize. Currently 79 percent of hospital beds in Michigan are full — 19 percent of those patients have COVID-19. “We want to see that number flattening or coming down … We want to see continued progress,’’ MDHHS Director Robert Gordon said.
Second, he wants to see cases falling. In the state it’s at 522 cases per million which has been trending down for the past 16 days, per Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHSS’s chief medical executive. “We want that trend to meaningfully continue. Fewer infections generally means fewer hospitalized,’’ Gordon said.
Third he wants the positivity rate to go down — not because there is less testing but because there is less virus in the community. Currently the positivity rate is 14.1 percent.
Even if the numbers improve in 12 days, don’t expect everything to open.
“We won’t lift all of our protocols at once. We will do it in a measured way so we don’t undo the progress that we’ve made,’’ Whitmer said.
Gordon said the priority in reopening will be to get high school students back
in the classroom. High school sports are not a priority.
Then he said casinos, movie theaters and bowling alleys could reopen with no concessions being allowed.
Indoor dining is further down the list because Whitmer said indoor gatherings without masks are one of the easiest ways for the virus to spread.
“Adults with positive COVID tests were approximately twice as likely to have reported dining at a restaurant than those that were negative,’’ Whitmer said. “It’s not the restaurants’ fault, it’s not my fault, it’s not Dr. J’s fault or Director Gordon’s fault. This is how COVID-19 spreads, it’s just that simple.’’
hitmer said she has asked the Michigan legislature to work with her on three priorities.
First, she wants $100 million of COVID-19 relief funds that will provide direct financial support to the families and small businesses that have been hit the hardest by this pandemic. Also she wants a permanent extension of unemployment benefits and a mask mandate.
“Right now we have to join forces and doubledown on what it’s going to take to get these COVID numbers down,’’ Whitmer said. “This might be the most difficult time in our whole struggle with COVID-19 since March, especially with the holidays approaching.’’