Whitmer Moving The Goal Posts On Why The Persistent Lockdowns?

When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer locked down the state of Michigan with a “stay-at-home” executive order on March 23, she gave this rationale:

“This will be temporary,” Whitmer said at her March 23 press conference. “This intervention is it important to buy time so we can create surge capacity in our hospitals, so we can ramp up testing, and develop therapeutic drugs that may lower hospitalization and fatality rates.”

By April 17 there were 3,634 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Michigan.

As of July 30, there were 727 individuals in Michigan hospitals for COVID-19, according to the state database. The average hospital bed occupancy rate in Michigan was 74%.

Yet, on July 29, when Whitmer ordered all bars closed for indoor service and limited indoor gatherings to 10 people or less, she did not mention the dramatic decline in hospitalizations in her press release.

“As we see COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Michiganders cannot afford to drop our guard. We must take every step possible to save lives, protect the brave men and women on the front lines, and avoid overwhelming our health care system while we continue to combat COVID-19,” Whitmer said. “After seeing a resurgence in cases connected to social gatherings across the state, we must further limit gatherings for the health of our community and economy. By taking these strong actions, we will be better positioned to get our children back into classrooms and avoid a potentially devastating second wave.”