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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: Michigan could 'dial back' reopening if COVID-19 cases continue to rise

Virus Outbreak Michigan
Posted at 9:09 AM, Jul 07, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-07 09:48:13-04

(WXYZ) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the state could "dial back" reopening if the number of COVID-19 cases continues to go up in the state.

Related: Percentage of COVID-19 cases in Michigan continues to rise among younger groups

Speaking to CNN on Tuesday morning, Whitmer said the state is going to continue to monitor numbers, as they have seen an uptick in cases over the past few weeks.

Related: Grand Rapids region, Lansing region not moving backward out of phase 4 of MI Safe Start plan

"If they keep moving up, we're going to dial back if we have to," she said. "That's the last thing any of us wants."

Most of the state remains in phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan, with the Traverse City area and Upper Peninsula in phase 5.

Whitmer had previously said she wanted the rest of the state to move to phase 5by the Fourth of July, but that didn't happen because of the rise in new cases. Also, last week, Whitmer ordered indoor service at bars closed due to an uptick in cases related to bars.

"I'm not going to be bullied into moving before it's safe, and if we have to move back, we're going to," she added.

Michigan has seen an increase of more than 200 new cases per day every day since June 23. On July 2, there were 543 new cases reported, the highest increase since May 29. While deaths have remained low, the number of cases is higher than it was in early June.

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.

See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.

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