Governor Whitmer: As Michigan Surpasses 8,000 COVID-19 Deaths and With a Vaccine on the Horizon, We Must Continue to Listen to Medical Experts, Protect Frontline Workers
LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer released the following statement after the state of Michigan recorded it’s 8,000th COVID-19 related death, and as Moderna announced that clinical trials show that their vaccine is effective:
“I want to express my deepest sympathies to all Michiganders who have lost a loved one to this virus. We all owe it to them to take this seriously so we can save more lives and protect each other. We must all choose to take action against COVID-19 and get through this together.
“As the weather gets colder, we must continue to listen to medical experts and join forces to fight COVID-19. We beat this virus in the spring by listening to the public health experts, and we can beat it again. Yesterday, my administration issued an epidemic order that limits indoor gatherings where COVID-19 can easily spread from person to person. These steps are what the public health experts say we need to take to avoid overwhelmed hospitals and death counts like we saw in the spring. Doing this will protect the medical workers, first responders, and other essential workers on the front lines. We all have a personal responsibility to follow these laws and to do everything we can to protect one another.
“We still need help from the federal government if we’re going to make it through this winter. It is more crucial than ever that the president, Mitch McConnell, and Nancy Pelosi work across the aisle to pass a bipartisan recovery package that includes more help for unemployed workers, more small business help, more support for locally-owned restaurants and all restaurant workers that are struggling, and more money to safely reopen our schools.
“There is hope on the horizon. Moderna announced today that their vaccine is highly effective and awaiting approval. This is great news for our families, frontline workers, and small businesses, and Moderna is not alone. Last week, Pfizer announced similar news, with both companies’ vaccines showing over 90% efficacy. This is all good news, but it doesn’t mean that we can let our guard down and loosen the safety measures we have made in our daily lives. It’s crucial that we keep our infection rate low so we can save lives and distribute the vaccine as quickly as possible when it’s ready.
“Whether you’re from a city like Detroit or a rural area like Luce County, and whether you’re a Biden Democrat or a Trump Republican, you have a role in this fight. We beat this virus before. Let’s do it again.”
|
