Whitmer Gives COVID Update; Cites Progress On Racial Disparities

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun provided an update regarding COVID-19 and the continued efforts to slow the spread of the virus. They were joined by Kevin Polston, superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools and chair of the Student Advisory Council to talk about the governor’s commitment to keep Michigan safely moving forward by getting kids back to school by March 1st.

While most Upper Peninsula school districts have been doing face-to-face learning again for several weeks, some in the state’s largest cities still have not re-opened completely.

Michigan added 563 new cases on Tuesday, the lowest daily case count since September 22nd. The state’s percent positivity rate has fallen to 5.7 percent, and the Upper Peninsula’s rate is even better at just below 3 percent. The state reported 29 new deaths on Tuesday, plus 31 more deaths after looking back through older death certificates.

There are 45 cases of the “variant” coronaviurus in Michigan, with none reported in the U.P.

The governor also talked about improvements in reducing the number of minorities being infected with the virus.

A recent study by the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices found that Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities, which is led by Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, has made significant and sustainable progress towards its goal of reducing health-based racial disparities associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study also recommended that the lessons learned from the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities “can be applied in states and territories across the nation to address this longstanding and difficult challenge.”

“Our administration took swift action to address the pre-existing racial inequities in health that were dangerously exacerbated by the pandemic, and we are proud of the progress we’ve made towards eliminating COVID 19’s disproportionate impact,” said Governor Whitmer. “I want to thank the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities for their excellent guidance that has led to Michigan becoming an example to the rest of the country in how to fairly fight this pandemic and support vulnerable communities. We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread of the pandemic and eliminate the virus as quickly as possible so we can return to a strong economy and get back to normal daily activities. I ask that Michiganders continue to follow public health guidance by wearing face masks, socially distancing, and washing your hands as we continue to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.”

Last year in April, Gov. Whitmer created the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s disproportionate impact on communities of color. Although African Americans represent 13.6% of Michigan’s population, during the early stages of the pandemic they represented a startling 40% of all COVID-19 deaths. Gov. Whitmer created the task force to serve in an advisory capacity to the Governor and recommend actions to address these racial disparities and the contributing historic and societal inequalities.

“We are incredibly proud of the progress the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities has made in reducing the staggering, disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on Black folks,” said Lt. Governor Gilchrist. “While we have come a long way, we are still living in the midst of this pandemic and in the wake of decades of racial injustices that have led to these health disparities. Our administration remains committed to reducing racial disparities of all kinds among our state’s vulnerable populations and continuing to fight this virus.”

Since April 2020, the case study found that Gov. Whitmer and the Michigan Task Force have substantially reduced the number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths among Michiganders of color. Additionally, under Gov. Whitmer’s leadership, racism was declared a statewide public health crisis, six million free masks were distributed, more than 24,000 free COVID-19 tests were administered in underserved communities, and 30 community organizations were funded to address community needs. These bold actions have set the state for long-term, sustainable reductions in racial health disparities.

Governor Whitmer has taken additional actions to continue the task force’s work of addressing underlying inequities throughout the state by declaring racism a public health crisis, and by creating the Black Leadership Advisory Council and the Michigan Poverty Task Force, which serve in an advisory capacity to the governor.

Whitmer Gives COVID Update; Cites Progress On Racial Disparities

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Local News from the RRN News Center