Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday night was emphatic that the safety of school children and staff comes first in the midst of the pandemic.
"I want to to make this very clear — I will not send our kids and our education workforce into our schools unless it is safe to do so, plain and simple," Whitmer said on Facebook. "I have made decisions based on science and facts to keep Michiganders safe since the beginning, and won’t stop now."
Her statement comes in wake of President Donald Trump's threat earlier this week to cut federal funding for districts that defy his demand to resume classes in person this coming school year.
Michigan has seen a rise in coronavirus cases since loosening restrictions on businesses. On Thursday, the state recorded 446 new cases and nine deaths.
On Thursday, the country reported a record high of 59,782 cases for one day, numbers that alarm medical officials.