WASHINGTON (AP) – Washington will rush federal funds to support vaccinations, testing and therapies, but not vaccines, to Michigan in an effort to control the state’s worst COVID-19 transmission rate, the White House said Friday.
The announcement came as Governor Gretchen Whitmer strongly recommended, but did not order, a two-week break for face-to-face high school education, indoor restaurant dining, and youth sports. She cited more contagious variants of the coronavirus and pandemic fatigue as factors in the rise, causing some hospitals to delay non-emergency procedures.
Statewide hospital admissions have quadrupled in a month, approaching the peak levels of last spring and fall.
“Policy alone will not turn the tide. We need everyone to act and take personal responsibility, ”she said Friday, without ruling out future restrictions. The seven-day rate in Michigan was 492 per 100,000 people, well above the second-worst New Jersey, with 328 per 100,000 residents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
President Joe Biden outlined the measures late Thursday in a call with Whitmer to discuss the situation in the state, senior officials said. It will not include a “rise” in vaccine doses, a move Whitmer has advocated and supported by Michigan lawmakers and members of Congress.
Instead, Biden spoke about how the federal government intended to help Michigan better manage doses already assigned to the state, as well as increase testing capacity and virus treatment drugs.
Whitmer, a Democrat, confirmed that she asked Biden during the call to send more vaccine doses to Michigan, specifically the single-dose injection of Johnson & Johnson.
“I advocated a surge strategy,” she said. “At the moment that is not being used, but I will not give up. … Today it is Michigan and the Midwest. Tomorrow it could be a different part of our country. I really believe the most important thing we can do is our efforts to suppress where the hot spots are. “
Doses are allocated to states proportionally by population, but Whitmer has called for additional doses to be shifted to states, such as hers, which are experiencing a surge in the number of cases.
“We stick to the allocation system of allotment by adult state population,” said White House COVID-19 Coordinator Jeff Zients, calling it “the fair and equitable way” to distribute the vaccines. He said the government wanted to help Michigan deliver more of its vaccines efficiently.
Officials noted that providing more doses would not be nearly as effective in curbing the spike in cases as more testing and recovery from restrictive measures such as wearing masks and restrictions on high-risk activities such as social gatherings, indoor dining, and youth sports. That’s because the vaccines take at least two weeks to provide immunity.
Biden told Whitmer that his government is ready to send an additional 160 Federal Emergency Management Agency and CDC personnel to Michigan to assist with vaccinations, in addition to the 230 federal personnel already deployed in the state to support pandemic response operations.
Biden added that he ordered his administration to prioritize the distribution of doses through federal channels, such as the retail pharmacy and community health center program, to parts of the state that Whitmer identifies.
“We are at war with this virus, which requires leaders from across the country to work together,” said White House spokesman Chris Meagher. “We are in close contact with Governor Whitmer, who is working hard to keep Michigan safe, and are working closely on a range of options that can help stop the spread of the virus.”
About 40% of Michigan residents ages 16 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. Michigan ranked 35th among the states in terms of vaccination coverage as of Thursday.
The governor-recommended closure of the high school provoked mixed reactions in educational circles. Her government closed high schools for a month during the state’s second wave late last fall.
“Research has shown that schools can be safe places for personal learning, as long as community diffusion is controlled – but with higher risk in our communities comes greater risk in classrooms,” said Paula Herbart, chair of the Michigan Education Association, whose union pushed for a similar two-week suspension of personal learning in elementary and high schools and colleges.
Restaurants, meanwhile, contested Whitmer’s recommendation not to eat indoors, but welcomed calls for more vaccines.
“We trust our operators will continue to provide a safe environment indoors and out for the coming weeks and we trust Michiganders will do their part to act responsibly and respectfully to help all of us achieve that result,” said Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association.
Eggert reported from Lansing, Mich.