Name: Whitmer extends emergency declaration in Michigan through Aug. 11
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Whitmer extends emergency declaration in Michigan through Aug. 11

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Share This Story!Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutThe governor's office said Tuesday that every region has seen an uptick in new cases over the past three weeksA link has been sent to your friend's email address.A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the ConversationTo find out more about Facebook commenting please read theWelcome to our new and improved comments.This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.You will need to register before adding a comment.Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.Please be polite.It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.If you see comments in violation of our , please report them.Lansing — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended&nbsp;her state of emergency declaration for Michigan through Aug. 11, saying Tuesday that COVID-19 is "still a very real threat in our state."The nearly four-week extension comes as the governor's office says every region in Michigan saw an uptick in new COVID-19 cases over the past three weeks as other states have experienced spikes in infections and hospitalizations.On Tuesday, Michigan confirmed 584 new cases of the virus and six new deaths linked to it, pushing the overall case total to 70,306 and the death toll to 6,081.The emergency declaration is what gives the governor the ability to take unilateral steps to combat the virus, like her Friday executive order to require businesses to ensure customers wear masks. She also has issued orders to suspend indoor service at bars and to limit public gatherings.“Throughout this crisis, the vast majority of Michiganders have done their part, but we must remain vigilant&nbsp;and continue to do everything we can to protect our loved&nbsp;ones,” Whitmer said in a statement. "That means wearing a mask over your mouth and nose and practicing safe&nbsp;physical&nbsp;distancing when going out in public.&nbsp;"If we all do our part now, there is a greater chance that schools can resume in-person learning in the fall.&nbsp;Be smart, be safe and mask up.”&nbsp;In June, Whitmer extended the emergency declaration through Thursday.Michigan confirmed its first cases of the virus on March 10.On that same day, Whitmer, a Democrat, issued her first emergency declaration because of COVID-19. Aug. 11 is 154 days after that first declaration.Laura Cox, chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, acknowledged Tuesday that Michigan is still under threat from COVID-19 but said Whitmer needs to begin working with the GOP-controlled Legislature to combat it."By continually extending her state of emergency order, she has intentionally circumvented the checks and balances our system of government is built on and given the cold shoulder to our legislative leaders who represent nearly 10 million Michiganders," Cox said.New COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations remain relatively low in Michigan. And new cases and the percent of positive tests are well below the virus's peak here in April.However, the proportion of tests for the virus bringing positive results reached 3.4% last week and has been inching upward for five weeks, according to state data. Also, last week brought a seven-week high in new cases in Michigan with 3,415 reported. The last time Michigan reported more than 3,000 new cases in a week was May 17-23."COVID-19 still poses a threat to families across Michigan, and it’s crucial that Governor Whitmer continue to take swift action to save lives,” said Dr.&nbsp;Joneigh&nbsp;Khaldun, the state's chief medical executive.While the virus hit Metro Detroit hardest in its first months, it's now reaching into other areas of the state. All of the 10 counties that have confirmed the most new cases per capita since July 1 are in West Michigan, northern Lower Michigan or the Upper Peninsula.Kent County, which includes Grand Rapids, ranks second for new cases compared to overall population since July began. And the&nbsp;U.S. Department of Health and Human Services&nbsp;has zeroed in on the Grand Rapids area in particular as an emerging hot spot.&nbsp;The agency is&nbsp;sending an interagency COVID-19 response field&nbsp;team&nbsp;to the region to support local and state efforts to identify the root cause of infection spread at the community level, identify best practices and launch broader efforts to stop the spread, a spokeswoman&nbsp;said Tuesday.&nbsp;Menominee County in the Upper Peninsula ranks third. With a population of about 23,000, it has confirmed 31 new cases since July 1, according to state data.The county is dealing with two small outbreaks: one at a congregate care facility and one involving a family where someone came in from out of state for a graduation, said Mike Snyder, health officer for the public health agency that serves Delta and Menominee counties.Whitmer's emergency extension through Aug. 11 also comes as a legal fight continues in the Court of Appeals over her ability to declare emergencies without input from the Republican-controlled Legislature.Meanwhile, a&nbsp;ballot proposal committee called Unlock Michigan is circulating petitions to try to repeal one of the two state laws that allow the governor to declare emergencies.As of Tuesday, Michigan ranked seventh nationally for COVID-19 deaths and 13th for confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.cmauger@detroitnews.com Read or Share this story: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/07/14/whitmer-extends-emergency-declaration-michigan-through-aug-11/5437326002/to help improve our site experience!More Stories

Share This Story!Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutThe governor's office said Tuesday that every region has seen an uptick in new cases over the past three weeksA link has been sent to your friend's email address.A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the ConversationTo find out more about Facebook commenting please read theWelcome to our new and improved comments.This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.You will need to register before adding a comment.Typed comments...

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Whitmer extends emergency declaration in Michigan through Aug. 11

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