<div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has formally declared a state of disaster in Michigan. She signed an executive order Wednesday which expanded the scope of economic, educational, and civic dislocation caused by the COVID-19, and equips the administration to address fully the devastation caused by virus that also made the formal declaration.</p><p>“Since Michigan announced our first confirmed cases of COVID-19 three weeks ago, we have taken some of the most aggressive measures in the country to mitigate the spread of the virus and protect Michigan families,” Whitmer said in a release. “Today’s action will allow my administration to respond more effectively to every facet of this crisis. During this time, it’s crucial that Michiganders continue to stay home and keep their distance from others. We will get through this together.”</p><p>Related: <span class="Enhancement"> <span class="Enhancement-item">Watch live Thursday: 'The Governor's Town Hall' on COVID-19</span> </span> </p><p>“The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan is still climbing, and we must continue to do everything we can to slow the spread,” MDHHS Chief Deputy for Health and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun added in the release. “The governor has taken a number of critical steps to protect Michigan families, and this order today will allow that work to continue. I will keep working closely with the governor and our partners across state government to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”</p><p>Whitmer sent a letter to Michigan congressional leaders requesting a concurrent resolution that will extend the state of emergency and disaster by 70 days.</p><p>In addition to issuing Executive Order 2020-33, Governor Whitmer sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield requesting a concurrent resolution extending this declared state of emergency and disaster under Executive Order 20-33 by 70 days from the date of the resolution.</p><p>In the letter, the governor wrote, “To meet the steep, varied, and ongoing demands created by the COVID-19 pandemic, my administration must continue to use the full range of tools available to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our state and its residents. I welcome you and your colleagues’ continued partnership in fighting this pandemic.”</p><p>Individual emergency orders, including the stay-home order, will expire at the time stated in each order unless otherwise continued.</p><p>As of Wednesday, there are 337 deaths and 9,334 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.</p><p>Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
Find out how you can help businesses and restaurants struggling during the pandemic.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
