Pulling your hair, screaming and ranting won't stop what appears to be on the horizon: Another Covid surge in Michigan.
Dave Boucher of the Detroit Free Press writes in an analysis:
Michigan again appears poised atop a dangerous precipice. While the state is currently weathering COVID-19 better than most in the nation, there are too many variants and not enough vaccinated residents.
More people are about to get sick. Some will die. But Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says her hands are tied.
GOP lawmakers and activists successfully repealed an emergency powers law she had used to issue orders. She feels the Republican-controlled Legislature is more concerned about defeating her and scoring political points than finding a consensus based in science. Even when the health department created safety restrictions, the administration faced substantial public pushback and attempts by GOP lawmakers to curb its power.
Michigan's Covid numbers aren't out of control like in Florida, epicenter of this summer's surge. It reported 21,683 new cases Friday, the highest one-day total of the pandemic, according to data released Saturday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state's Thursday total was 17,093.
Florida is now responsible for one in five new infections nationally, with an average of 15,818 new cases a day over the past week.
By contrast, Michigan recorded an average of 431 daily new Covid cases from Wednesday to Friday, and 21 deaths over the three days. This week, from Wednesday to Friday, the state averaged 750 cases per day over that span, a jump of 74 percent. Nineteen deaths from the virus were recorded during those three days, including nine that occurred earlier.
The Freep notes that data show every time Whitmer instituted stringent Covid restrictions, the numbers improved. Despite that, she faced a continuous pushback by the GOP lawmakers, and was even mocked by President Trump.
