(WWJ) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is urging Michigan residents not to gather with people from outside their own homes for Thanksgiving, as COVID-19 cases skyrocket in the state.
"The second wave of COVID-19 is hitting us, and it's hitting us hard. I'm not gonna sugarcoat this...We are in the worst part of this pandemic to date," Whitmer said, at a news conference Thursday.
"This is the moment that medical experts had been warning us about, and dreading since the beginning of this pandemic," she said. "The curve that we had flattened, right now this curve is a straight line, and it is straight up."
Whitmer had this to say about the upcoming holiday season:
"Thanksgiving is gonna look different this year -- it just has to," the governor said. "Medical experts across the country strongly recommend that we do not host Thanksgiving with people outside of our own households."
"I know this will be hard," Whitmer said, "but we cannot afford for people to head to a family member, friend or loved one's house for Thanksgiving, contract the virus and bring it back to their communities and their homes."
"The more people we have in our homes -- talking, eating, drinking, hugging, yelling at the Lions -- the higher the risk of catching or spreading this virus, and the higher the risk that the people we love will die."
Along with daily case counts, Whitmer noted that hospitalizations are quickly rising in the state -- up five-fold over the past five weeks -- with many hospitals nearing capacity. And the personal protective equipment (PPE) that hospitals had been stockpiling is running out, she said.
Whitmer said deaths are also going up, and if things don't change soon Michigan could see peak death counts by Christmastime.
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Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy Director for Health for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that "Things are looking very grim with COVID-19 and in our state right now."
Khaldun urged Michiganders not to travel for Thanksgiving.
She said her family has canceled all holiday gatherings this year, and she urged everyone in Michigan to do the same.
"If you are smart now you may be able to have a nice holiday with your loved ones -- alive -- at this time next year," Khaldun said.
MDHHS said there are 6,940 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Michigan on Thursday -- the highest daily case count ever. There are also 45 new deaths, bringing the totals to 236,225 cases and 7,811 deaths since the pandemic began. Nearly 129,000 people infected in the state have recovered. (See all the updated numbers here).
While Whitmer said Michiganders do not need executive orders to do the right thing for themselves and their families, she stressed the all COVID-19 orders issued by MDHHS remain in effect and carry the weight of the law.
Whitmer again urged everyone to mask up, wash their hands, and practive physical distahcing. "There's light at the ende of the tunnel," Whitmer said, pointing to recent news about a possible vaccine on the way.
"We will not be doing this forever, but right now it's really dangerous and important that we do what we know works," she said. "We will get through this and we'll get through it together."
Find all the details about MDHHS orders concerning masks, gatherings and more, at this link.
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