(WXYZ) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer had a stark warning for Michiganders as COVID-19 cases and deaths surge across the state.
During a press conference Thursday afternoon, Whitmer reminded people across the state of the collective effort from everyone that helped stop the spread of the virus in the spring.
But now, as cases and hospitalizations skyrocket, she said the second wave is hitting us hard and that we are in the worst part of the pandemic to date.
Related: Michigan sets another record with new single-day total of 6,940 COVID-19 cases
“The curve that we had flattened, right now...is a straight line and it is straight up,“ she said.
She noted the more than 200,000 cases currently in Michigan, and the more than 100,000 cases that are popping up per day across the U.S.
She also referenced the country's daily death count.
"Our country is averaging over 1,000 deaths every day. I just want that to sink in for a second. Try to imagine ten 737 airplanes crashing to the ground every single day. That's what we’re facing: A 9/11 every three days," Whitmer said.
She urged Michiganders to continue to social distance, practice good hand washing and mask up.
“Unless we get our act together right now, we could be hitting our daily peak of deaths in Michigan come Christmas,” she said.
Whitmer, along with Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state's chief medical executive, encouraged people to only celebrate Thanksgiving with the individuals currently in their household.
State health leaders, including the heads of Henry Ford, Beaumont, and Spectrum Health Systems, joined together earlier Thursday to sound the alarm on the spike in COVID-19 cases in Michigan.
Related: Beaumont CEO: Hospital staff gets 'resistance' when asking people to wear masks in lobbies
Health care leaders urged residents to take caution, limit gatherings and continue social distancing measure as cases and death continue to spike in the recent weeks.
Gerry Anderson, executive chairman of DTE Energy, who hosted the call Thursday morning warned, "It's safe to say a slowdown is nowhere in sight."
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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