UPDATE: Governor Whitmer COVID-19 Daily Update August 24, 2020

Michigan Executive Office of the Governor sent this bulletin at 08/24/2020 06:30 AM EDT

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Below is an update on the 2019 Coronavirus outbreak as of 10:00 PM on 8/23/2020                      

 

UPDATE  

 

  • After the Court of Appeals ruled to uphold the governor’s emergency powers to protect Michiganders from the spread of COVID-19, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office sent the following statement from Press Secretary Tiffany Brown.  

 

"Today the Court of Appeals handed the governor a complete and decisive win in her efforts to protect the people of Michigan from this once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic. This decision recognizes that the Governor’s actions to save lives are lawful and her orders remain in place. As the Court concluded: “[T]he Governor’s declaration of a statement of emergency, her extensions of the state of emergency, and her issuance of related EOs clearly fell within the scope of the Governor’s authority under the EPGA.” (p. 21). She will continue to do what she’s always done: take deliberate, measured actions to protect Michiganders from this unprecedented threat. This lawsuit is a dangerous and costly attempt to take away the governor’s power to respond to the COVID-19 emergency and save lives. We owe it to our frontline heroes who have been putting their lives on the line to pull together as a state and work as one team to stop the spread of this virus." 

    

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  • On Friday, Governor Whitmer announced that the United States Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) approved the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency’s application for funding that would provide an additional $300 per week payment to Michiganders receiving unemployment benefits. Roughly 910,000 Michiganders would receive the supplemental benefits.  

 

“This is good news for the thousands of Michiganders who are still without work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s still a short term band aid that falls short of what’s needed,” said Governor Whitmer. “We need the president, Mitch McConnell, and Congress to put partisanship aside and pass a bipartisan recovery package that will help us save lives and get people back on their feet. Michigan families, frontline workers, and small business owners are counting on the federal government to do the right thing and work together on their behalf.” 

 

  • The governor announced the appointments to the Electrical Administrative Board, Michigan Employment Relations Commission, and the Governor's Educator Advisory Council. 

 

  • The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced 768 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. This brings the total number of positive cases of COVID-19 to 96,792. 

 

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HAPPENING ACROSS STATE GOVERNMENT 

 

  • To protect Michigan’s workforce and workplaces, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) has been working with businesses across the state on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Following several inspections, MIOSHA has issued the first round of COVID-19 “general duty” citations. MIOSHA cited six different businesses with serious violations for failing to uphold safe and healthy practices, potentially putting workers in harm’s way. 

 

“We’re focused on education first so employers know what they must do to safely reopen. But a failure to follow guidelines puts everyone at risk. While these citations are necessary to prevent potential serious illness, they are not a reflection of the tremendous cooperation we have seen from employers and their workers across the state,” said Michigan COVID-19 Workplace Safety Director Sean Egan. “A vast majority of businesses are doing their part to keep our economy open by following the proper guidance.” 

 

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  • Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joined CNN to talk about the importance of voting by mail in all elections. She also talked about her concern and work to ensure voter security throughout Michigan.  

 

 

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