Health

Michigan officials brace for post-Thanksgiving Covid spike

December 01, 2020, 3:39 PM

Featured_unnamed_46123

Though the rise in Covid cases in Michigan has begun to slow, officials said Tuesday they're bracing for another spike by mid-December as a result of Thanksgiving travel and gatherings.

MDHHS Chief Medical Executive Joneigh Khaldun attributed the slowdown in cases to people who started "doing the right thing" in early November, heeding mask and social distancing guidelines. But she said numbers could spike within two to three weeks, heading into Christmas.

That data could come after MDHHS decides whether to extend a three-week "pause" on businesses that facilitate gathering indoors, including restaurants and casinos. During a Tuesday news conference Whitmer indicated officials would have a better understanding of how successful the closures have been in slowing the spread of the virus. 

"We have not predetermined anything," she said.

► Michigan's Covid Death Count Rises by 190, Passing a Spring Record

The "pause" began Nov. 18 and runs through Dec. 9.

Whitmer seeks approval of up to $100-million from the state legislature to help laid-off workers make ends meet as Congress remains stalled over additional federal aid.

Michigan's week-over total of new cases last week dipped slightly for the first time since September. Crain's reported there were 47,316 new cases reported to the state health department in the week ending Nov. 28, compared with 50,892 cases the previous week.



Leave a Comment:

Photo Of The Day