Grand Rapids Reporter

More than 4,700 people have died in Michigan from COVID-19, and over 48,000 people have been infected as of May 13, according to Michigan. gov. However, Republicans in the Michigan House of Representatives have rolled out a plan that would allow some regions in the state to reopen and ease restrictions faster than others. 

The Michigan Department of Health notes that the most severe outbreaks are in Detroit and the surrounding metro area, while other areas in the state have more manageable case loads. 

Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) said on the GOP’s Facebook page that the state’s approach to managing the health crisis needs to change. 

“I think a one-size-fits-all approach is the wrong call, and I’m calling on the governor to be regional in the policies that we are enacting,” Chatfield said, according to 9&10News.

Other Republican lawmakers echoed that belief. Rep. Lynn Afendoulis (R-Grand Rapids Township) issued a press release expressing her views as well. 

“I am hopeful the governor is becoming more receptive to focusing on which activities are safe vs. unsafe, instead of essential vs. nonessential, and to looking at COVID-19 by region and category instead of the current blanket response,” she wrote on the Michigan House Republicans website.

The Republican plan would allow many parts of Michigan to be declared “safe,” with little risk of spreading coronavirus, “while maintaining all the safety precautions where they’re necessary,” Afendoulis told Michigan House Republicans. The lawmakers say the current response is crippling the state’s economy and needs to be changed as soon as possible.

House Democrats say they are opposed to the plan. Rep. Christine Greig (D-Farmington Hills), minority leader for the House, released this statement to WXYZ Detroit: 

“A reopening that is rushed without adequate safety protocols and robust testing ensures that workers, and those that come in contact with them, will continue to be at risk for contracting COVID-19 and passing it along to others. Let’s work together to create a plan that reopens our neighborhoods and communities safely and confidently.”

Currently, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has extended the state’s stay-at-home order until May 15 and is telling people they must wear masks or face coverings when inside indoor public places, like grocery stores and pharmacies. Some restrictions have been lifted, such as allowing recreational boating.