Whitmer Mum On More Restrictions As Michigan COVID-19 Cases Spike

LANSING, MI — Michigan has seen a recent surge in new coronavirus cases, joining four other states in making up for half of the nation's new COVID-19 cases. And while the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pushing for stronger restrictions in the state, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer believes otherwise.

Michigan has been one of a handful of states — joining Florida, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania — seeing a significant surge in new COVID-19 cases over the past seven days. During that time, those five states have accounted for 44 percent of the nation's new COVID-19 infections — or nearly 197,500 new cases, according to state health data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

That recent surge recently prompted CDC Director Rochelle Walensky to suggest the state implement stricter COVID-19 guidelines, something Whitmer has not shied away from in the past.

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"I would advocate for sort of stronger mitigation strategies, as you know, to sort of decrease the community activity, ensure mask-wearing, and we're working closely with the state to try and work towards that," Walensky said Wednesday during a briefing in which she discussed Michigan and other states.

However, in recent weeks, Whitmer has been mum on whether the state could see tighter guidelines amid the rising cases. Michigan's most recent COVID-19 surge comes as the state began loosening some of its COVID-19 rules, but with the implementation of mass vaccination sites in parts of Michigan and increased vaccination goals, Whitmer appears content riding out the storm of new COVID-19 cases for the time being, while encouraging more Michiganders to be vaccinated.

“You don't have a policy problem in Michigan,” Whitmer said at a recent event, according to Bridge. “You have a compliance, mobility and variant problem and that's why vaccines are so important.”

Read More: Do You Support A Vaccine Passport In Michigan? Take Our Survey

Whitmer in early 2020 began issuing executive orders she said were aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus. At one point, she closed schools and even issued a stay-home order.

While some restrictions were slowly eased, others were reissued. In November, she ordered a ban on indoor dining among other gatherings ahead of the Holiday season.

The indoor dining ban has been extended twice until being eased on Feb. 1, when the state began allowing restaurants and bars to serve up to 25 percent of their normal capacity. That capacity limit grew to 50 percent in March.

Read More: 246 Michiganders With Full Vaccinations Got COVID-19: State

On Thursday, Michigan reported 7,819 new cases of the coronavirus and 73 more deaths. More than 723,000 cases have been confirmed in Michigan, with the death toll growing to more than 16,000. More than 577,000 people in the state have recovered from the virus, according to state data.

Nearly 39 percent of Michiganders have been fully vaccinated, according to state health data.