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Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday urged Michigan residents not to travel for the Christmas holiday, and she again called on the Michigan Legislature to pass a mask mandate law.
The governor said that masks are the best tool we have against COVID-19, and we need to keep wearing them “for months”. She says that’s because the new COVID-19 vaccine that has started rolling out across the country won’t be available to average residents until the late spring.
Whitmer spoke along with Chief Medical Executive and MDHHS Chief Deputy for Health Dr. Joneigh Khaldun. Khaldun said that Michigan’s positive case rate, total cases, and hospitalizations are all trending downward, and have been for the past few weeks.
“We did not see the post-Thanksgiving surge that we had feared,” Khaldun said, but added, “our numbers are still alarmingly high.”
Whitmer said that the closure of bars and restaurants, along with other venues like movie theaters and bowling alleys, as well as high schools, have helped to lower the numbers.
“What we’re doing is working,” Whitmer said. “It shows that a lot of Michiganders did the right thing over Thanksgiving. We can’t quit now. We have to double down. We are in a stronger position than a lot of other states. But if you are planning to travel for Christmas, don’t do it. We strongly urge you to reconsider, so that we all can enjoy those important gatherings next Christmas.”
Whitmer sidestepped a question about when restaurants may be allowed to re-open, saying that “the science is settled” about COVID-19 spreading easily in indoor settings where people do not have masks on. She gave no direct answer to a possible re-opening timetable, instead, called on residents to “support your local restaurants who are struggling” by ordering takeout and buying gift cards. She also said that the legislature needs to pass more financial support for residents and small businesses.
Whitmer added that attending family gatherings with people outside of your immediate household could have deadly consequences.
“We know that just one infection in those settings can quickly spread throughout a community,” Whitmer said, adding that a surge in cases can quickly overwhelm our hospitals.
Attorney General Dana Nessel also spoke at the press conference, urging people to be on the lookout for scams. Nessel said that here are already people offering to give you the COVID vaccine before the general public, and are also offering various treatments that don’t work, including “herbal teas and essential oils”. She said that holiday shoppers should look out for items that are too at prices that are “good to be true”, and said that you should research a company on-line before buying a product.
“Sometimes, what you get in the mail is pf very low quality, or you get nothing at all,” Nessel said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Whitmer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers joined together in a social media video to encourage everyone across the region to remain safe heading into the holiday season.
“This may be the most difficult time yet in our struggle with COVID-19, especially with the holidays approaching. Until the vaccine is available to everyone and until we eradicate this virus once and for all, we must continue working to protect one another,” the governors said. “The science is settled: The best way we can protect our frontline workers and slow the spread of this virus is to double down on mask wearing, social distancing, and washing hands frequently. If you are planning to travel or gather with other households for the holidays – we urge you to reconsider. Just one infection can cause an outbreak in your community, which could overwhelm our hospitals and put you and your loved ones at risk. We owe it to the brave men and women serving on the front lines of this pandemic to do our part and be smart this holiday season.”
This is the second time this bipartisan group of governors has joined forces in the past month to encourage people in their region to do their part to protect our families, frontline workers, and small businesses. They released a similar video prior to Thanksgiving urging families to reconsider holiday travel.
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