LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- Governor Gretchen Whitmer has sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to declare a disaster in Michigan due to the new coronavirus.
The state has more than 2,800 cases of COVID-19. Sixty-three people have died. The city of Detroit alone has nearly a third of the cases.
Healthcare providers across the state are complaining of shortages in protective gear like masks and gloves. Whitmer says the state has collected a lot of protective gear for healthcare workers from other states and businesses.
"Assuming all these shipments come in as planned it’s good. It’s definitely something that is helpful, but it is still not nearly enough to meet our need," she says.
The state is asking hospitals outside of Southeast Michigan to serve as relief hospitals and reserve 10 percent of beds to send patients from the Detroit Metro area.
Whitmer says the best way to protect lives right now is to stay home.