Governor Whitmer Again Cautions Against Reopening State Too Quickly

whitmer0513
whitmer0513

Governor Whitmer last week laid out a six-phase plan to reopen the state fully from COVID-19, noting then and again Wednesday that we remain in the middle in phase three, the flattening of the curve of the epidemic. She was asked for specific numbers for when she felt it would be safe to reopen more things in regard to cases, deaths, and hospitalizations.

“There’s no textbook, specific number that will tell you it is safe to reengage a particular sector of the economy,” answered Whitmer. “It depends on human nature, it depends on human activity, it depends on the appropriate protocols and access to PPE (personal protective equipment) for sectors of the economy.

The governor said there are too many variables to put out a number that would be acceptable.

“We do know that when our testing gets to 15,000 to 25,000 a day, we will be in a much stronger position to take that next step,” added Whitmer.

The state right now is around 11,000 tests a day with a goal to test 450,000 people this month.

She also referenced testimony before a U.S. Senate committee by Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday during which he said re-opening the economy too quickly will trigger another outbreak we can’t control. Whitmer said “None of us, none of us, wants that.” Fauci has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984.