The pandemic is stretching toward two full years. It has played a role in almost every public policy and facet of life over that time.
Wednesday 9&10 News sat down with Governor Gretchen Whitmer at her residence to recap the past year and look forward to next.
Question: We’re ending Year Two of COVID of the pandemic. The challenges for the first year of 2020 are different than what has been seen in 2021. How is that changed both how you governed and how you’ve been attacking and approaching the pandemic?
“I think that in the early days of COVID obviously we didn’t know much about our enemy, right? We didn’t know that it was respiratory transmitted, we were talking about washing surfaces but we know it’s through respiration and we now have vaccines. One of the things that was great that the Trump Administration did was Project Warp Speed. We have vaccines in record time and they are highly effective. In the last few days, the FDA has approved the Pfizer pill. This is an additional weapon in our arsenal with monoclonal antibodies, all of our tools have been created within the last year. Year One of COVID was scary. We didn’t know a lot, we’ve learned a lot in Year Two. We’ve been able to deploy these tools so they can stay out of the hospital and stay alive.”
QUESTION: The people who are pushing against vaccines and mask mandates, they would sit there and say we have all these tools but the problem is even bigger now. How do you explain that or appease their fears?
“The problem is still real. When we started 2021, every one of us hoped that by this time COVID would be in the rearview mirror and we would not have this issue. It really is largely among the unvaccinated where we are seeing hospitals getting overwhelmed. That’s where when people say we should use blunt tools, this is a very specific part of our population that has chosen not to get vaccinated.”
In 2021, the state of Michigan did away with mandates and restrictions and instead went to recommendation and personal choice. Many saw it as irresponsible but others as a compromise with the other side. That willingness paid dividends in bipartisan budget negotiations and the recent economic development deal.
“It shows that we can get a lot of good stuff done in a bipartisan way in a fast way and sharpen our tools,” said Whitmer, “So that anyone who wants to make an investment, can’t help but keep Michigan at the top of their list. We’re going to win some big projects that will put people to work.”
Will that teamwork play out in 2022? Massive midterm elections loom while Republicans and Democrats will have to tackle COVID, the economy and calls for action on gun control.
“I don’t want to draw a line and say that this is what it has to be because that’s not going to do anything right?” said Whitmer, “It’s going to throw everyone in their corners and we can’t afford to let that happen. I’m not pre-judging but I’m creating a space at the table for everyone who wants to genuinely see if we can find some common ground.”
In 2020, the election muddied the response to COVID. In 2021, things evened out but as they look to finally end the pandemic, it is still yet to be seen if politics will again get in the way.
“I have taken criticism from the left, I have taken criticism from the right and I’m not going to get bullied or swayed from following what is the best formed decision so we can keep people safe. That’s always been my focus and it will continue to be.”
For the full interview, see below.
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