(WXYZ) — Michigan is still several weeks away from a peak in COVID-19 cases, Chief Health Director Dr. Joneigh Khaldun says.
In a press conference on Monday, Khaldun said several hospitals in Michigan are at capacity, so the state is focusing on utilizing alternative, nontraditional sites of care. Detroit's TCF Center has already been identified as one.
Khaldun also noted that the state needs more medical professionals to respond to the crisis. On Sunday, Whitmer issued an executive order that would temporarily allow physician assistants and nurses to treat patients.
"No one is immune to this disease," Khaldun said. She says the most important thing Michiganders can do is to heed Whitmer's stay-at-home order.
"Everyone needs to stay home unless they absolutely must leave their house," Khaldun said.
The state of Michigan has already expended more than $80 million to begin securing:
- More than 20 million masks
- More than 2,000 ventilators
- Nearly 9 million ounces of hand sanitizer
- More than 255,000 boxes of gloves
- 2.4 million gowns
- More than 2,000 beds
- 210,000 testing kits
- 3,000 thermometers
- 185,000 face shields
- 22,000 cartons of disinfecting wipes
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