LANSING, Mich. (WSYM) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced at a press conference this morning that the state is launching a new program, called Mi Mask Aid, with the goal of lowering the spread of coronavirus overall, and in the Black community in particular.
The goal is to get 4 million masks to Michiganders in need. Those who do not have access to masks can get them for free, and 1.5 million produced by Ford will go to low income schools.
The Governor’s administration has taken other steps to try to negate the disporportionate spread of COVID-19 in the Black community. They’ve expanded drive-through and walk-up testing, encouraged local leaders to form their own committees to address the issue, and added implicit bias training as part of the process for medical license renewal.
Anyone interested in receiving a free mask can call 888-535-6136 or find their local community action agency online.
The announcement comes a day after Michigan had over 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed.
