LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is keeping a close eye on Michigan's coronavirus data, saying she hopes to loosen restrictions in other regions of the state but isn't sure if the risk will be low enough.
In an interview with 13 ON YOUR SIDE, the governor said she is concerned about people moving around more as sectors of the economy have re-engaged.
"We are seeing some increase in positive tests and so really understand the context of those is what's so important here," she said. "If you see a spike in an area, and it's limited to one place of employment or one restaurant, that's something that we can isolate pretty quickly and keep from growing exponentially. If it is not associated with one situation, then that's a lot more concerning."
Many restrictions in Michigan have been relaxed statewide, including allowing restaurants, hair salons and retail stores to operate again with health procedures in place. However, only the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan are in Phase 5, while the rest of the state remains in Phase 4, which is when the number of new cases and deaths has fallen but the levels are still high.
"My goal is to have the whole state to phase five by the Fourth of July. I'm not sure if we're going to get there," she said. "We're going to have to keep watching the data and watching very closely. What we see happening across the country shows you that we still have COVID-19 we are still at a very high risk of exponential spread."
Tuesday, Michigan reported 221 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 daily deaths. The total number of cases is at 61,630 and the death toll is 5,864. While numbers in Michigan have been on the decline, Whitmer has repeatedly said we are not out of the woods yet.
"That's why mask wearing is so important. We can't let masks become a political statement. This is about our public health," she said. "This is about everyone of your viewers in their families and communities. And so when two people are wearing a mask, we really bring down the risk of spread to 1.5%. That's why it's so important."
Last week the governor extended the COVID-19 state emergency in Michigan until the July 16. In doing so, Governor Whitmer joins nearly every state in the country in maintaining a state of emergency to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other states have started to see surges in numbers after reopening, including Texas where the state reported 5,000 cases in a day on Tuesday.
"But if people drop their guard now and we see this spread continue, then it's very possible we have to take a step back and I don't think anyone wants to have to do that," Whtimer said. "So it really is on every single one of us to do our part and that truly is my biggest concern. In this moment. We've got to continue ramping up our testing and we need to supplies from the federal government that is still a struggle."
There has been concern about testing after President Donald Trump said at a weekend political rally in Oklahoma that he’d asked his aides to slow down testing because it was turning up too many positive cases. American infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says neither he nor any members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force have been asked to slow down testing.
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