Kalamazoo Times

A new budget plan was unanimously approved to help halt the spread of the new coronavirus throughout the state of Michigan. As cases continue to skyrocket, the emergency budget is set to add another $150 million in assistance to the community.

“It was essential to provide our health experts with the resources they need to combat the spread of the coronavirus,” State Rep. Beth Griffin (R-Mattawan) said, according to Michigan House Republicans. “This allows our state to be out in front of response efforts as we are seeing the case numbers begin to climb.”

According to the report from Michigan House Republicans, the budget will provide $50 million for immediate needs, such as virus monitoring and testing, laboratory work, contact tracing, infection control and continuation of critical state government functions. Another $50 million will go to critical health care providers to help expand capacity for emergency virus response, with the remaining $50 million to be kept in reserve.

“The expanded capacity is a key component to this package because it will work to stave off what we have seen positive cases do to the health care systems in other countries that are experiencing outbreaks,” Griffin told Michigan House Republicans. “Being ahead of what’s in front of us and being proactive is what is going to keep people and their families safe.”

Additionally, it was announced last week that the Michigan Strategic Fund Board passed a plan that will provide up to $20 million to support small businesses that have shut down due to COVID-19.

Michigan now ranks third in the nation in coronavirus-related deaths after a recent fierce jump in outbreaks, trailing only New York and New Jersey.

Across the state, there were over 17,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 727 deaths reported as of April 6. More than 80% of total cases are in the three populous Detroit metro-area counties of Oakland, Macomb and Wayne, according to Michigan.gov.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that the U.S. could see millions of coronavirus infections and between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths.

As of April 6, the nationwide numbers have grown to almost 331,000 confirmed cases and almost 9,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States now faces the most confirmed cases in the world.