(WXYZ) — Michigan health leaders said that although COVID-19 infections are increasing at an exponential rate across the state, they advised against a blanket shutdown similar to what was implemented in the spring.
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Beaumont CEO John Fox said he doesn't think the state needs to enforce a state-wide shutdown; however, he said the government and communities play a critical role in reinforcing the way COVID-19 can be controlled.
"The virus doesn't move on its own, it spreads through us," Fox said. "The tools to control it are there and accessible. We just have to constantly emphasize that in any way we can."
Fox said hospital leaders don't want to see a lot of regulation dropped down on businesses and social activities, but warned that Michiganders cannot be tone-deaf to the reality of COVID-19.
Henry Ford Health System CEO Wright Lassiter III said a blanket shutdown does not provide the specificity hospitals need.
"It remains to be seen whether or not simply asking Michiganders will be enough," Lassiter said. "That's where we stand currently. If doing the right thing using ration and science isn't sufficient, other steps will end up being necessary."
In a previous press conference, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said back in the spring, the state was experiencing uncontrolled community spread, hospitals were running out of PPE and officials at the time were not aware of how powerful masking would be to push numbers down.
Although she has not yet announced another stay-at-home order, she said there were a lot of fundamentals that necessitated one implemented in the spring.
She said the state has "come a long way" since the spring.
Michigan sees record-breaking new case numbers and a surge in hospitalizations from the virus.
Statewide in just the past 26 days, there has been a 215 percent spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations, 146 percent increase in patients on ventilators, and a 137 percent increase in patients in the ICU.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
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