The president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System wants Michiganders to follow the simple safety measures in place to stop the spread of COVID-19, but if they can’t, he said other steps might be necessary.
“If doing the right thing and using ration and science isn’t sufficient, then there may be other steps that end up being necessary,” said Wright Lassiter, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System.
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Lassiter and leaders from other Michigan hospital systems said they don’t believe another shutdown or stricter government guidelines are necessary to reverse the state’s concerning COVID-19 trends.
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They said Michiganders should just follow four simple rules: Wear masks, practice social distancing, wash hands frequently and avoid large gatherings.
“I think it remains to be seen whether or not simply asking Michiganders will be enough,” Lassiter said.
Lassiter said a broad-based shutdown of the state likely would not be effective. He said measures taken to combat specific issues and locations contributing to the spread might be needed if trends don’t change.
His comments came in response to a question about whether or not asking residents to follow guidelines is enough to slow the spread of COVID-19, which has spiked alarmingly in the last several weeks.
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