GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer received her second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine while visiting Grand Rapids Thursday. The state's Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, administered the dose at the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic, located at the DeVos Place.
"Two weeks from today, I will be getting together with a small group of my friends I haven’t gotten together with in a long time," said Whitmer, "I’m looking forward to that. I know the more of us who do just what we’re doing today will all be able to make these types of plans."
Whitmer was joined by her daughter, Sherry, who also received her second dose. The two shared a high-five following the shot.
Whitmer's vaccination comes on the heels of announcing the "MI Vacc to Normal" plan, which ties easing COVID-19 restrictions in the state to vaccination rates.
Read more about the MI Vacc to Normal plan but clicking here.
The four-phase plan will ease restrictions when 4.5 million residents, 55% of the 16 and older population, receive their first dose. Two weeks later, she will lift the requirement for remote work.
Speaking before her vaccination, Whitmer said this first goal could be reached by next week. Policies could be eased by the end of May.
However, she said further steps may be delayed if data suggest it.
"For this step and the next, MDHHS may delay implementation if we see something unique happening, like a seven-day average of new cases higher than 250 a day per million Michiganders," said Whitmer, "I share that, we think it’s very unlikely that is going to happen, but if for some reason a variant takes hold, or there’s something we need to reevaluate, we’re going to have to do that if the circumstances require. But we don’t think that will happen."
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said nearly half of all Michiganders have gotten at least one dose of their vaccine. She expects to surpass seven million doses in the coming days. She said while numbers are higher than she would like, most statewide numbers are actually appearing to trend in the right direction.
"We know these more easily transmitted variants are more present cross the state," said Khaldun, "We also know our hospitals are still taking are of far too many patients with COVID-19. I work in the ER, and we’re still seeing patients younger than we were in the spring and fall getting COVID. And some of them getting very sick."
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