LANSING, Mich. — Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield on Monday announced a road map for Michigan to recover from the impact of COVID-19 and reopen the economy.
The plan calls for the governor to first reopen parts of the state that have not seen high case numbers of COVID-19 then gradually move to the area most impacted.
“The people I talk to are understandably worried about the future and the uncertainty of what tomorrow will bring for their families, friends and loved ones during this pandemic,” said Chatfield. “We need clear answers from our elected leaders about where we go from here and how our lives can go back to normal as safely as possible. This proposal contains our suggestions for the best way forward to prioritize public safety and make responsible, scientific decisions to guide Michigan’s comeback.”
Under the state’s current response, Chatfield said even residents who work alone in areas of the state with very low occurrences of COVID-19 can not make a paycheck.
Chatfield's road map asks the governor to follow a regional model that uses the latest guidance from health experts and all available data to allow people living in less impacted areas to begin making their own low-risk choices about restarting some normal life activities.
“This is about giving people hope for the future and peace of mind about what comes next,” said Chatfield. “We are all concerned about our health and safety during this crisis, and any plan put forward has to make that the top priority. But there are thousands of families across the state who also have to worry about how to pay their bills, take care of their children and keep up with payments on their homes on top of everything else."
The plan from Chatfield was mentioned on his Twitter page last week and he thanked President Donald Trump for his support and leadership. He has also sent the governor letters asking her to open the state back up before "it's too late."
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she hopes to start easing some restrictions by May 1.
Michigan is one of the hardest hit by the pandemic with more than 31,400 cases and 2,391 deaths -- the fifth highest death rate in the country, according to state data. More than one million residents have filed for unemployment and the strain is especially present for small business owners.
Last week Whitmer, and six other Midwest governors announced they would be coordinating to reopen their state economies. The announcement made clear that governors will work with experts to take "fact-based, data-driven approach" to reopening economies in order to protect against further spread of the virus.
RELATED STORIES:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
