(WXYZ) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she's "very concerned" about being able to safely send kids back to school in the fall as cases of COVID-19 increase across the country and in Michigan.
Related: READ HERE: State releases 'MI Safe Schools Roadmap' for kids to return to school
Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday night, Whitmer said the last thing she wants to see in Michigan is an outbreak that keeps kids from getting back to school.
“I’m not sending kids and our education workforce into our schools unless it's safe. It’s that simple," says Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
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"I’m very concerned. We’re eight weeks out and we know that the trends nationwide are not good," Whitmer said, adding that people need to mask up.
"Eight weeks will go by very quickly," she added. "If we don't get a handle on these fundamentals, it's going to be very risky to debate whether or not we send kids back into classrooms."
Related: What the 'MI Safe Schools Roadmap' says for school sports
On June 30, Whitmer unveiled the MI Safe Schools Roadmap plan for kids to return to school in the fall. It reported that schools would be able to have in-person instruction if their area was in phase 4, which all of the state is in as of July 9. The Traverse City and Upper Peninsula are in Phase 5.
The more than 60-page document outlines safety protocols for schools to implement in each phase of the MI Safe Start Plan.
Earlier this week, Whitmer said the state could also "dial back" reopening if cases continue to climb in Michigan. The state has seen more than 500 and 600 cases reported twice in the last week, the highest increase in new cases since May.
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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