(WXYZ) — Michigan has passed 10,000 deaths due to COVID-19, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered U.S. and Michigan flags to fly at half-staff for 10 days – one day per 1,000 deaths.
The flags were lowered to half-staff on Tuesday and will remain that way until Friday, Dec. 18.
According to the state, more than one out of every 1,000 Michiganders have lost their lives to the virus.
“Our nation is grieving alongside each of the families who have an empty seat at the dinner table each night or who will be missing family members during the holiday season,” Whitmer said in a release. “Right now, we need to listen to our scientists and medical professionals who are asking us to double down on wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing to prevent an unnecessarily greater loss of life. With a vaccine on the horizon, there is light at the end of the tunnel, but we each need to do our part until then. We will get through this together.”
Michigan businesses, residents, schools, local governments and more are encouraged to fly flags at half-staff.
They should return to full-staff on Dec. 19.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.