(WXYZ) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Michigan is showing progress since the initial three-week pause was announced, but that progress is "fragile.
Whitmer and MDHHS Director Robert Gordon announced they are extending the partial shutdown of the state until Dec. 20.
Related: Gov. Whitmer announces partial shutdown extended until Dec. 20 due to COVID-19
Whitmer said her administration cannot yet let up restrictions, particularly until the state sees impact from Thanksgiving travel and gatherings.
Currently, 79% of all hospital beds are occupied in Michigan, she said. Staffing is extremely limited due to many frontline workers getting sick and unable to come into work due to COVID-19.
"We cannot risk overwhelming our hospitals further," she said.
The state health department’s order — aimed at indoor gatherings — closed high schools to in-person instruction, stopped organized sports, prohibited indoor restaurant dining and closed various entertainment businesses such as movie theaters and bowling alleys. It will end late Tuesday unless extended, which was commonplace for stay-at-home and other restrictions earlier in the pandemic.
There are 395,036 total cases of COVID-19 in Michigan and 9,854 deaths from the coronavirus. As of Friday, there were more than 214,000 active cases of the virus.
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.
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