Whitmer: New COVID-19 cases down 60%, next step is increasing indoor capacity limits

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a large dip in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations Wednesday, saying now is the time to be optimistic.

She said new COVID-19 cases were down by 60%, and hospitalizations were down 30% since a peak in mid-April.

Vaccinations were also on the increase reaching nearly 7.5 million doses administered, with more than 55% of Michigan residents having received their first shot and more than 40% being fully vaccinated, including 70% of seniors.

“Vaccines are our best chance of putting this pandemic behind us. They represent hope and healing," Whitmer said at the May 12, 2021, news conference.

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Michigan hit the first milestone of the governor's MI Vacc to Normal plan. The state could drop the remote work rule, allowing residents to return to the office and in-person work.

Whitmer said Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration began putting together guidelines for returning to the workplace, with access to childcare as an important component. Whitmer proposed $370 million in the budget for child care and asked the legislature Wednesday to work with her.

The next milestone would be getting 60% of Michiganders vaccinated, and that would lift the curfew on restaurants and bars, and increase the capacity for stadiums, conference centers, gyms and other indoor businesses.

On May 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization on Pfizer's vaccine for teens. The federal advisory committee recommended using the two-dose vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds.

Whitmer encouraged all parents to talk with their children and doctors about the vaccine.

Michigan's top medical executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said the state was awaiting further guidance from an advisory group with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This will mean less missed school because of quarantine, fewer missed sports practices and games, a return to birthday parties, sleepovers, and most importantly, our kids will have a much lower risk of getting ill from this terrible virus," Khaldun said.

She said the state was making great progress since the mid-April peak.

As of May 11, 2021, she said Michigan was at:

• 253 cases per million, decreasing for the last four weeks and down almost a third since since a week ago.
  
• 9.8% test positivity, almost half of where Michigan was at the mid-April peak
• 11.8% hospital beds are being used for COVID-19 patients, and the metric is continuing to decline