State Officials Advise: Avoid In-Person Holiday Plans, COVID-19 Cases Surge

Michigan residents should avoid in-person plans for the holidays, officials urged Thursday (November 12) in hopes of curbing the spread of COVID-19 across the state.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer projects Michigan “could be hitting our daily peak of deaths…come Christmas.”

She and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun urged Michiganders to reconsider Thanksgiving and Christmas plans, the Detroit News reported Thursday afternoon.

"If you are smart now, you may be able to have a safe holiday with your loved ones alive this time next year," Khaldun said.

Officials are telling residents to wear masks, social distance, frequently wash hands and to get a flu shot, among COVID-19 precautions.

Earlier in the day, healthcare officials from five of the state’s major hospitals also urged citizens to take precautions amid the next round of COVID-19 spikes in Michigan.

Although healthcare professionals weren’t pushing for a shutdown, COVID-19 hospitalizations are surging.

Michigan has tracked more than 259,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 8,000 deaths as of Thursday afternoon.

"There is no area of the state that is spared," Khaldun said. "To have more than 10% of those tests coming back positive is alarming and means this virus is out of control." 

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