Governor Gretchen Whitmer touted optimistic coronavirus numbers at a press conference Friday while unveiling a plan to get a mask to everyone who needs one in Michigan.
This comes after the state saw a big one-day jump in cases Thursday – bigger than we’ve seen in a long time.
With schools and colleges finalizing their plans for the school year, there was some expectation heading into the press conference that some more direction would be coming for educators.
But that was not the case. Friday’s update was all about masks.
Specifically, a new program called MI Mask Aid, where Michigan will be offering four million masks for free for the most vulnerable populations across the state.
The masks are being supplied by FEMA and the Ford Motor Company, who is donating 1.5 million masks themselves.
The masks are being dispersed to local community action agencies, homeless shelters, Native American tribes and agencies, as well as low income schools.
She repeatedly stressed the point that the single best defense people can use against COVID-19 is using a mask, and a program like this can help those Michiganders who need it the most.
As for the case numbers, the Traverse City region continues to have the lowest numbers of any region in the state.
Statewide, we hit the highest single day number of tests last week at nearly 40,000 with the state positivity rate at just over 3%.
If you would like to get one of the free masks, you can contact the state’s COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136 or your local community action agency.
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