LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer says the state has made strides preventing the spread of COVID-19, but while some restrictions may be lifted, she’s urging caution to prevent a second wave of new cases.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, May 4th Whitmer said testing capability is up since the statewide outbreak began on March 10th, and that the number of new cases has plateaued due to precautions like the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order.
Whitmer recently extended the stay-at-home order until May 15th, but has allowed some businesses to reopen as part of her “Michigan Safe Start” plan. Industries are opening by sector and region of the state.
Residential construction and real estate business activities will be able to resume on May 7th, with the governor considering reopening other low-risk industries as well.
Despite mounting pressure from some residents and Republican lawmakers to reopen the economy sooner, Whitmer says her major concern is the possibility of a second surge in cases later this year. She has said that if that happens, many restrictions may have to be re-imposed.
“If we open up too fast, we will have to go through this pain all over again,” said Whitmer. “I don’t think any one of us wants to put our medical system at risk and go through a stay-at-home order again.”
Last week, protesters gathered around the inside of the state capitol building in Lansing, with some carrying firearms during a rally against the extended stay-at-home order. A vocal minority of demonstrators could be seen holding signs with Nazi imagery or the confederate flag.
Whitmer said during a Sunday interview with CNN that the protests depicted “some of the worst racism” and that the gatherings put lives at risk.
The issue of extending the state of emergency allowing her to implement more executive orders and restrictions has been a source of contention between the governor and state legislature. The House and Senate refused to reauthorize the declaration before the May 1st deadline, prompting Whitmer to unilaterally extend it herself.
When asked whether she thought she was overstepping her authority, Whitmer said she was hoping to cooperate but was willing to make decisions on her own if needed.
“I am happy to work with the legislature, I think ideally we all get on the same page here. But what I can’t do is negotiate like this is a political issue, this is a public health issue,” said Whitmer.
On Monday, she signed an executive directive creating the Michigan COVID-19 Office of Accountability within the state budget office, monitoring money spent to address the public health crisis. The task force will report back to the governor’s office detailing funding requests and allocation of state and federal dollars to different programs.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson later spoke about how Michigan was preparing for elections on May 5th, for the first time being held through mailed-in ballots only. In March, Benson said the SOS Office had sent out absentee voter applications across the State.
“In Michigan we have the tools to carry out elections that are secure, accurate, and safe to participate in,” said Benson, adding that the mail-in ballot program has been a success so far.
“Voter turnout in this election is at 20 percent right now and will ultimately be more than twice the average turnout for our May local elections, which is typically around 12 percent,” Benson said. “More than 140,000 citizens have returned their ballots by mail, demonstrating that even in times of uncertainty, people want to vote and they want to weigh in on local issues.”
Benson also said that these mail-in elections may extend into the remainder of the year, depending on how the COVID-19 outbreak plays out.
In closing, Benson provided citizens with instructions for the election.
- In each jurisdiction with an election, there will be at least once voting location open. Visit Michigan.Gov/Vote to get contact information for your local clerk, who can apprise you of address and hours for that location.
- Voters who choose to request or return their ballot in person, plan to wear a mask, practice social distancing at all times, and clean your hands after voting.
Sample ballots and more voting information can be found here.
Further election information specific to Kalamazoo County can be found at this link.
— Will Kriss contributed to this article. —
