Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shared new details about her plan to send Michigan back to work, but questions still remain unanswered about how the state’s economy will reopen.
The governor’s “MI Safe Start Plan” seeks to incrementally reopen nine types of workplaces across eight regions of the state, starting with low-risk jobs and adding additional businesses over time. Whitmer’s plan also charts six phases of Michigan’s progress toward beating COVID-19, setting targets based on transmission rates, access to testing and hospital capacity.
Whitmer’s Thursday press conference provided the crucial details about her plan and status of Michigan’s recovery but also left some key questions unanswered. The governor’s full “MI Safe Start Plan” is available online.
Michigan’s approach to reopening the economy: slow, steady and safe
Here are some things we still don’t know about the plan to reopen Michigan.
SOURCE: Michigan Executive Office of the Governor
The “MI Safe Start Plan” calls for evaluating eight individual regions based on worker travel routes and the proximity of health care facilities.
The health risk of each region will be determined by tracking the trend of positive COVID-19 cases, the capacity of nearby hospitals and the success of contact tracing efforts. Whitmer said some regions will receive approval to bring back workplaces faster than others, based on their progress toward beating the coronavirus.
So far, that hasn’t happened; workplaces authorized to come back can open statewide.
This is because the entire state is in the same stage of recovery, Whitmer said Thursday. Right now, all eight regions in Michigan are in the “flattening” stage, the third of six recovery phases.
Whitmer says regions will be treated separately when they pass the next response stage.
“As we look to the next phases there certainly could be regional differences,” Whitmer said. “That’s why we wanted to share the thought process. It is not written in stone, but this is the cadence of ideal regions and ideal next steps.”
The state’s Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun struck a cautiously optimistic tone about Michigan’s journey to “flattening the curve” in public statements during the last two weeks. Khaldun had more good news to share Thursday: the rate of tests that come back positive for COVID-19 is declining.
“Since this outbreak started about one in five of every person who is tested has tested positive for the virus, but in recent weeks that has actually dropped to one in 10,” Khaldun said.
Thursday, she highlighted the declining number of cases in Southeast Michigan, the hardest-hit region of the state, and West Michigan, where a recent spike in cases worried public health officials. Khaldun said the average number of cases during the last seven days is down 15%.
Still, Khaldun said Michigan is still experiencing outbreaks across the state. There’s still more progress to be made before we move into the next stage, the governor concluded.
Michigan is in Phase 3 of 6 in coronavirus response and recovery, governor says
Moving into the next stage allows a number of restrictions to be lifted, including allowing offices to open, and giving a green light to let residents hold small gatherings. So how does Michigan go from “flattening” to “improving?”
According to the “MI Safe Start Plan,” the next phase occurs when the number of new cases and deaths has fallen for “a period of time,” but overall case levels are “still high.”
When in the improving phase, most new outbreaks are quickly identified, traced, and contained due to robust testing infrastructure, rapid contact tracing and adequate capacity in the state’s health systems.
Michigan’s daily coronavirus death toll climbs to 93, highest in 5 days
"New transmission can take some time to become visible, and we need to understand any impact of previous re-engagement activities on new disease spread before evaluating a transition to the next stage, the plan states. “As we move into later phases, or if our progress stalls out, it may take longer to move from one phase to another.”
The six phases of the pandemic include:
UNCONTROLLED GROWTH: The increasing number of new cases every day, overwhelming our health systems.
PERSISTENT SPREAD: We continue to see high case levels with concern about health system capacity.
FLATTENING: The epidemic is no longer increasing and the health system’s capacity is sufficient for current needs.
IMPROVING: Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are clearly declining.
CONTAINING: Continued case and death rate improvements, with outbreaks quickly contained.
POST-PANDEMIC: Community spread not expected to return.
SOURCE: Michigan Executive Office of the Governor
You may have noticed the governor’s plan lacks specific targets for the number of cases and deaths. Whitmer has repeatedly pledged to base her decisions on “the best science” and public health data available, but the plan’s benchmarks remain unclear to the public.
For example, the fifth phase of recovery -- “containing” -- is defined by a continued decrease of cases and deaths where community spread is “less common.” The plan includes no figures that clearly define when that is happening.
The auto manufacturer says it will take extensive worker safety precautions in reopening its plants as the coronavirus pandemic abates.AP
Reopening also won’t be as easy as setting a date and opening the doors. Industries allowed to open under Whitmer’s revised orders are required to create a response plan and implement new infection control measures — such as screening employees for infection, revised physical layouts and staggered work shifts to ensure social distancing.
Whitmer authorized manufacturing facilities to get back to work on May 11 under new health and safety measures to protect their workers from infection. It could take businesses more time to adapt to the new standards required to operate safely.
The state’s Big Three automakers -- Ford Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and General Motors -- are planning a phased restart beginning May 18. Whitmer said the auto manufacturers will start with 25% capacity and ramp up from there.
Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sandy Baruah said smaller parts manufacturers are poised to reopen next week in order to supply larger facilities, but plants will likely come back online at different times.
“I think it’s going to vary widely by company,” Baruah said. “I don’t think there’s going to be just kind of one rule I think it’s going to depend on how they prepared during this downtime. I think it’s also going to depend on their ability to bring their employees back. Have they been keeping in touch with their employees, have they made all the necessary safety provisions, has there been any change in their contract statuses?"
Whitmer’s order carries a wide set of safety measures that must be followed. Manufacturers are required to conduct a daily screening of individuals entering the facility, suspend all non-essential in-person visits, train workers on best practices, provide adequate personal protective equipment, reduce employee interaction where possible, stagger shift schedules and mealtimes, and implement comprehensive disinfection routines.
Two major segments of Michigan’s economy returned Thursday when construction and real estate employees went back to work. Whitmer authorized those jobs to come back through an executive order signed the previous week.
Delta grounds crew unload boxes of PPE from a Delta 757 plane at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids on Friday, April 10, 2020. (Anntaninna Biondo | MLive.com)Anntaninna Biondo | MLive.com
Violating any of the requirements under Whitmer’s executive order is punishable by a misdemeanor, but the governor did not provide details on how businesses will be held accountable for following safety requirements.
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office is ultimately responsible, but the office has passed responsibility for enforcing Whitmer’s “stay-at-home” orders to local police. That has resulted in reports of lax enforcement of the governor’s social distancing guidelines in some areas of the state.
Whitmer didn’t say whether local police are expected to make sure businesses are staying compliant, but Baruah said that looks to be the plan.
“The latest that I have heard regarding enforcement is that the attorney general’s office is going to, at least for the time being, give wide latitude to local and county law enforcement,” Baruah said. “The Attorney General’s Office, nor the governor’s office frankly, doesn’t have the capacity to monitor facilities opening up in various parts of the state.”
University of Michigan healthcare worker activist and supporters participate in a socially distanced rally to call for hospitals nationwide to focus on prioritizing workers and patients outside of Rogel Cancer Center: University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Wednesday April, 15, 2020. Nicole Hester/Mlive.com
Advisers helping Whitmer craft the economic reopening process made it clear that workplaces will look quite different when they come back.
“Masks will be ubiquitous in almost every workplace in Michigan. Gloves and face shields will be in widespread use as well,” said DTE Energy Chairman Gerry Anderson, co-chair of Michigan’s Economic Recovery Council.
It’s not clear what role the state will play in supplying businesses with tests or personal protection equipment. Access to both PPE was hard to come by during the early stages of the relief effort, but a steady supply has come from FEMA and local manufacturers have begun to produce PPE to meet the rising demand.
Michigan residents are also required to wear face coverings while in an enclosed public space. Masks must cover a person’s nose and mouth, but can be made out of homemade materials like scarves, bandanas, or other fabrics.
The governor promised that workers who don’t feel safe returning to work will be protected from retaliation. Business leaders would like similar protections for employers who could face lawsuits from customers and employees who contract COVID-19.
“If companies are following the rules and are implementing the rules faithfully and in good faith, there needs to be liability protections for that employer,” Baruah said.
Andy Johnson, vice president of government and corporate affairs at the Grand Rapids Regional Chamber of Commerce, said there needs to be “reasonable liability protections" for businesses that comply with the governor’s hygiene standards.
"I think the last thing we’d want to see is a crippling surge of lawsuits,” Johnson said. “I think one thing this whole crisis is pointing out is the importance of business, they truly are the engines driving these tax resources that our local, state and federal governments rely on. We need to make sure there’s a sound climate for them to operate again while living and working with the virus being out there.”
Lisa Cook, an economics professor at Michigan State University, said it will take time for employees to feel comfortable going back to places that were previously deemed unsafe. The best way businesses can limit liability is to err on the side of caution, she said.
CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.
Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces.
Read all of MLive’s coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
Read more on MLive:
Friday, May 8: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan
Coronavirus turns contact tracing into top priority for county governments
U.S. unemployment rate hits 14.7% amid coronavirus, topping recession levels
Michigan’s approach to reopening the economy: slow, steady and safe
"still" - Google News
May 08, 2020 at 10:35PM
https://ift.tt/3chgj5y
7 questions we still have about Michigan’s plan to reopen the economy - MLive.com
"still" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35pEmfO
https://ift.tt/2YsogAP
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "7 questions we still have about Michigan’s plan to reopen the economy - MLive.com"
Post a Comment