(WWJ) While she did not announce a decision, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says the state may "have to" extend the current ban on indoor dining.
The governor said Thursday that, while cases are leveling off a bit in recent days, she's concerned about data that showed a significant number of Michigan residents traveled over Thanksgiving -- despite the warnings from health experts.
She's bracing for that to result in an explosion of cases this month and next.
"The bottom line really is: Do the masses, do the people, do their part, right?" Whitmer said, at a news conference. "It comes down to individuals, all of us, doing our part and taking this seriously."
"You know, we said eight, nine months ago that if everyone would just stay in place, this virus would be gone."
Whitmer's comment come amid a "three-week pause" on in-person bar and restaurant service, by order of the state health department. Theaters, skating rinks, stadiums, casinos and a handful of other businesses deemed higher-risk are also closed under the order, which is currently set to expire next Tuesday, Dec. 8.
Whitmer said while no final decision has been made, the decision will come down to ensuring that Michigan's hospitals aren't overrun.
The governor made very clear that an extension is on the table, depending on what the numbers say.
"I think with a few more days of information or thereabouts we'll be in a much stronger position to really assess if there are some things that maybe are safer to do," Whitmer said. "But if we have to make some extensions of the current pause in some realms ...that is sadly possible because of just the sheer volume of COVID."
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Along with extending the current "pause," the governor said she and health officials are is also looking at other possible options to bring down the numbers.
Whitmer did not elaborate on that.
While restaurants struggle to stay open with carryouts and deliveries, Andiamo owner Joe Vicari says it's "all about survival" right now.
However, at a recent Zoom meeting he organized with hundreds of other restaurateurs, he walked back a call for all to defy the shutdown order, and reopen no matter state officials decide.
"My point at the meeting was let's not revolt, let's not break the law, because that in the long run is gonna hurt everybody," Vicari told WWJ's Jon Hewett. "And hurt yourselves."
On Wednesday, Federal Judge Paul Maloney refused the block the indoor dining ban. He said "plausible explanation" for the state order exists: People can't eat or drink without removing their masks -- a step that could spread the virus.
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The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported 7,146 new cases of the coronavirus, along with 175 more deaths. Most of those deaths were a result of vital records reviews, officials said.
While those numbers aren't great, they come as state is seeing a slight drop in the number of new cases, according to MDHHS.
Along with hospitalizations, which are up in recent weeks, one number that remains a concern is the state's positivity rate. As of Thursday, Michigan was at 13.8%, up from under 3% over the summer.
Get the latest COVID-19 statistics from the state AT THIS LINK.