9 great takeaway menus from COVID-19 briefing by Michigan Governor Whitmer

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer held another briefing on COVID-19 on Tuesday (December 15th) to update the state’s management of the virus.

You can see the full information in the video above.

Whitmer was joined by Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical officer of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

These are the top nine takeaways from the briefing.

Whitmer believes the state’s stricter COVID-19 standards, which were extended until next week, are successfully curbing the spread of the virus.

“The department issued this order to prevent our hospitals from being overwhelming, so that we can protect the brave women and men who serve on the front lines of this crisis, so that we can protect our small businesses that want to remain. open so power can of course encourage the spread of COVID-19, ”Whitmer said. “The good news is that we are moving forward. It’s working. “

Whitmer said the state’s number of COVID-19 cases is declining and the decline correlates with the day the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued its three-week “pause”.

“Simply put, what we’re doing is working,” Whitmer said.

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Whitmer said he expects the Modern COVID-19 vaccine to join the Pfizer vaccine next week.

“Over the weekend, the first shipments of the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine came out of Portage, Michigan,” Whitmer said. “Next week, we expect the Modern vaccine to be approved.”

“Doctors have been asking what vaccine should they take? And your answer is to take any available vaccine. It doesn’t matter: Pfizer or Moderna, or maybe others that will go online. They are safe and effective. “

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Khaldun delved deeply into the facts of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, including the effectiveness of the vaccines, when everyone can expect to receive them and the possible side effects.

These are some of the highlights:

• The vaccine can’t actually give someone a virus. It just shares a specific code with the body to help it recognize the virus and fight it.
• Michigan hopes to be able to offer the vaccine to the general public in late spring 2021.
• Some people will experience mild side effects from the vaccine, such as low-grade fever, arm pain, or fatigue. This means that the body is accumulating its response to fight the virus.

Click here to read the 17 facts.

Nessel outlined four specific types of scams against the COVID-19 vaccine circulating in the state and explained how they target residents.

• Promises to get the vaccine very quickly.
• So-called treatments that include pills, herbal teas or essential oils.
• Personal testimonies given instead of scientific evidence about one vaccine against another.
• Messages, texts, or emails on social media about qualifying for clinical trials that claim you can make money.

“Advertisers offer thousands of dollars to participate, but what they will do is ask you for money or ask for personal information up front, and then include a link to download a brochure or whatever, which will open the door to malware in whatever device you use, ”Nessel said.

Click here for more information on these scams.

Whitmer continues to support bipartisan support for COVID-19 restrictions, saying 2,000 residents have died from the virus since he sent a letter to lawmakers three weeks ago.

He said he asked the Michigan legislature to take action three weeks ago.

“In the three weeks I’ve been sending this letter, nearly 2,000 Michiganders have died from COVID-19,” Whitmer said. “There are 2,000 people who were parents or grandparents or children and loved ones, people who were taken too soon.

“At this time, unfortunately, the legislature has only been in session for six days. No action has been taken on these measures. We can’t afford to wait any longer. “

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Whitmer says she is ready to sign a $ 100 million economic stimulus plan to help families and small businesses suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He calls on the Republican-led legislature to work with her on the plan.

“Yesterday I sent another letter to the legislature, urging them to work with me on priorities like $ 100 million in COVID-19 relief,” Whitmer said. “We know this virus harms our people and harms our businesses.”

“Here in Michigan, we need to try to step up and take action. I’m ready to sign a bill, so it’s crucial that the legislature finds some things in common and approves a state economic stimulus plan of up to $ 100 million to provide direct financial support to families and small businesses that have been hardest hit by this pandemic. “

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For the second time this month, Whitmer asked state lawmakers for a permanent extension of unemployment benefits due to COVID-19.

“I also need them to remember to approve a permanent extension of unemployment benefits,” Whitmer said. “I appreciate the Senate’s extension of unemployment benefits to 26 weeks until March, but we really need to work together to pass a permanent extension to protect the countless Michiganders and their livelihoods.”

Whitmer said thousands of Michiganders are in danger of losing profits by the end of the year.

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Three of COVID-19’s most important metrics show positive signs that Michigan is heading in the right direction, the state’s chief medical officer said.

Khaldun said the case, hospitalization and positivity rates are declining.

Michigan currently has 560 cases per million people, a figure that has been declining for 22 consecutive days, Khaldun said. Case rates in the eight geographic regions are declining, he said.

Overall, 18.5% of hospital beds in the state have COVID-19 patients, which has also decreased, according to Khaldun.

The percentage of state-wide COVID-19 tests that return positive has dropped to 12.3%, Khaldun said. This number has decreased for seven days in a row.

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Local 4, Hank Winchester, asked Whitmer about the restaurants. Right now, they are limited to execution and delivery orders, as the indoor dining room is closed at least until December 20th.

“We know our restaurants are hurting right now and it’s not your fault that COVID-19 has spread across the country and across our state,” Whitmer said.

Whitmer said he believes that once 2021 is launched, each month will improve than the next.

“The weather will get warmer,” Whitmer said. “We will have an administration that is really focused on a national strategy around COVID-19. All these things are reasons to be very optimistic about 2021 ”.

A survey released on Tuesday showed that a third of restaurant owners do not believe they can spend another six months like this. They consider the restrictions on COVID-19 to be inconsistent, as people can go to malls or grocery stores, but not restaurants.

“There’s a ban on covered food, and I think to the extent that these restaurants see this happening in other areas, it’s unfortunate,” Whitmer said. “We know this virus easily passes through the breath, and that’s why (the indoor dining room is closed).”

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