Democrat Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appeared on the “Today Show” on Wednesday for an interview with Craig Melvin amid the coronavirus outbreak, referencing “snow on the ground” while defending her “stringent” stay-at-home order.
Asked how she plans to reopen Michigan amid the coronavirus pandemic, Whitmer said, “I think the same factors that you’re hearing from governors across the country. It’s knowing that we have a decline in numbers of tests coming in positively. It’s that we have got robust testing and that’s still a struggle across this nation.”
“As we are making this determination, it’s gotta be centered around public health and mitigating spread, knowing that our hospitals are equipped and the PPE they need to meet the needs of the people that need help desperately and not in crisis mode, but in a manageable way. And so, I think these are a few of the factors we are all going to be looking at, certainly, I’m gonna be looking at here in Michigan,” Gov. Whitmer said.
Melvin told Whitmer that her “stay-at-home” orders have been considered “one of the most stringent in this country”, pointing out that people who have vacation homes cannot travel to it.
“You’re asking stores who sell things like paint and garden supplies– having those stores shut down and not considering them essential. What’s the thinking behind your particular stay-at-home order?” Melvin asked the Michigan Governor.
“Well, let me tell you this: Michigan has the third most COVID-19 cases in the nation right now. And we are not the third largest state in the nation. That tells you we have a unique crisis on our hands and it demands a unique solution,” Whitmer said. Continued Below
(Related: Protesters Flood Michigan’s Capitol In Their Vehicles And Send A Loud & Clear Message To Whitmer)
“We just had snow. I’ve got snow on the ground here in Michigan right now in Lansing. We’re expecting up to 30 inches in the upper peninsula,” Whitmer replied.
“The fact that we’re cracking down on people traveling between homes, or planting, or landscaping, or golfing, really for a couple more weeks isn’t gonna meaningfully impact people’s ability to do it, [be]cause the snow will do it in of itself,” the Michigan Governor claimed. Video Below
Gov. Whitmer’s full remarks:
