UPDATE: Governor Whitmer COVID-19 Daily Update January 8, 2021

Michigan Executive Office of the Governor sent this bulletin at 01/08/2021 06:30 AM EST

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ICYMI 

 

  • Yesterday, Governor Whitmer penned a letter alongside Governors Gavin Newsom (CA), Laura Kelly (KS), J.B. Pritzker (IL), Tim Walz (MN), Andrew Cuomo (NY), Tony Evers (WI), and Jay Inslee (WA). The letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Operation Warp Speed Chief Operating Officer General Gustave Perna requested that the federal government distribute the millions of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses that are currently being held back by the Trump Administration. According to publicly reported information, the federal government currently has upwards of 50% of currently produced vaccines held back by the administration for reasons unknown.  

 

“Our states are ready to work around the clock to ramp up distribution, get more shots in arms, and save more American lives,” the governors said. “General Perna, as you have stated before, ‘a vaccine sitting on a shelf is not effective.’ We couldn’t agree with you more. That’s why we are asking for your help now. When we work together, we can end this pandemic and return to a life of normalcy sooner. Our finest medical researchers have made it crystal clear: if we fail, there will be even more dire consequences for our families, our small businesses, and our economy. This is America. There is no challenge we can’t meet. Let’s work together and get it done.” 

 

  • Yesterday, Governor Whitmer and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker agreed to work jointly to protect the Great Lakes from invasive Asian carp species through an intergovernmental agreement between the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) which allows Illinois to use up to $8 million in funds appropriated in 2018 by the Michigan Legislature to support the pre-construction engineering and design (PED) phase of the Brandon Road Ecosystem Project.   

  

"Preventing invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes was a day one priority for my administration. We know it’s been a priority for a lot of others, but we needed to take action, and that’s what today’s action represents,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “The Great Lakes support 1.3 million jobs, including over 350,000 jobs right here in Michigan. That’s why after decades of work, today Michigan, along with the State of Illinois and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has taken a historic step towards protecting the Great Lakes from Asian carp. I am determined to continue to use every tool at my disposal to keep harmful invasive species from damaging the Great Lakes ecology and our economy.” 

 

  • MDHHS announced 4,015 cases of COVID-19 from yesterday. This brings the total number of positive cases of COVID-19 to 512,751. 

 

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HAPPENING ACROSS STATE GOVERNMENT 

 

  • MDHHS is reminding everyone that Michigan will move to a new phase of vaccinations starting on Monday, January 11th. Learn more here.  

 

 

 

  • The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity shared a list of virtual job fairs and hiring events that Michiganders can take advantage over throughout the year.  

 

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MEDIA COVERAGE 

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RESOURCES