A group of hospital and business leaders are holding a virtual briefing Thursday to urge Michiganders to get vaccinated as COVID cases and hospitalizations rise.

Watch live coverage as the Pentagon holds a briefing with Press Secretary John Kirby and Army Maj. Gen. William “Hank” Taylor. The briefing comes after the U.S. drone strike targeted an ISIS-K planner.

Watch live coverage as President Biden delivers remarks on his administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic as the Centers for Disease Control is lifting some restrictions on vaccinated Americans.

Watch live coverage as the White House COVID-19 Response Team holds a virtual press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic and vaccine rollout.

Gretchen Whitmer said the reason Michigan is in a stronger COVID-19 position than many other states is the “pause” that tightened restrictions and created an incremental reopening process. Whitmer was asked about the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association’s plan for expanding indoor dining capacity. Right now, restaurants are limited to 25% capacity and must close by 10 p.m. “Michigan is in a stronger position than most other states in the nation right now,” Whitmer said. She called on the Michigan Legislature to work with her to pass the MI COVID Recovery Plan.

LANSING, Mich. – The top health official in Michigan shared a message for residents in the state who haven’t yet been able to get their COVID-19 vaccine. Whitmer’s latest COVID updateAs of Wednesday (Feb. 17), the state of Michigan has administered 1,657,215 vaccines, according to Gov. AdBut still, there are millions of residents who aren’t eligible to receive the vaccine, and many who are eligible and can’t get appointments due to supply. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, shared a message Wednesday for people who want to get vaccinated, but haven’t been able to yet. Ad“We will all keep working around the clock until everyone who wants a vaccine is able to get one.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s three primary COVID-19 metrics have been steadily improving for weeks, and the progress is continuing, according to the state’s top health official. Gretchen Whitmer‘s briefing, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, updated the state’s case, positivity and hospitalization rates. “I continue to be very encouraged by the data we are seeing in the state, with regards to COVID-19,” Khaldun said. AdMichigan’s case rate continues to decline and is down to 113 cases per million people, she said. For example, last week Michigan was at 4.5% positivity.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan has confirmed 157 cases of the more contagious COVID-19 B117 variant across 12 counties in the state, officials said. “This means isolation, quarantine and frequent testing whenever we identify outbreaks associated with the variant.”The B117 variant was first identified in the United Kingdom. A person connected to the University of Michigan athletic department tested positive for the B117 variant after traveling to the UK. But since then, Michigan has confirmed cases in many other counties, Khaldun said. AdOn Tuesday, officials announced 90 cases of that variant have been identified at the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Ionia.

Gretchen Whitmer provided an update Wednesday on the state’s handling of COVID-19, talking about the more contagious variant, vaccinations and what’s next for Michigan. The money will come from the Michigan Small Business Survival Grant program. “The Michigan Small Business Survival Grant Program provides crucial support to Michigan’s small businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Whitmer said. “I continue to be very encouraged by the data we are seeing in the state, with regards to COVID-19,” Khaldun said. “As we continue to see our supply increase, we will be able to include more and more providers across the state,” Khaldun said.

Here’s everything you should know about COVID-19 in the state before the governor’s update. Last week (Feb. 9), Michigan reported 144 cases of COVID-19 per million population per day, Khaldun said. Last week, Khaldun announced 45 cases had been confirmed across 10 Michigan counties. Starting immediately, mortuary service workers who routinely work with infectious materials, will be able to be vaccinated as part of group 1A, the state announced. AdNow, providers with specific plans to remove barriers to access across the state will also be allowed to request vaccines for people age 60 and up, the state announced.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer provided an update Wednesday on the state’s handling of COVID-19. Whitmer’s latest COVID updateWhitmer was joined by Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. They discussed the continuing spread of the B117 variant in Michigan, how the state’s restrictions helped improve COVID-19 numbers and provided an update on vaccination distribution. AdYou can watch the full replay of the briefing in the video posted above.

LANSING, Mich. – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said there are two confirmed cases of the COVID-19 B117 variant in the city. The variant, which was originally discovered in the United Kingdom, is known to spread more easily than the previous strand of COVID-19. Gretchen Whitmer said the state has confirmed a total of 45 cases of the B117 variant across 10 different counties. Whitmer’s COVID briefing on Tuesday“While our numbers continue to trend overall in the right direction, I’m very concerned about what we are seeing with the new B117 variant,” Khaldun said. All three of those metrics are improving, but the spread of the COVID-19 variant puts that progress in jeopardy.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan officials once again reported promising movement for the state’s COVID-19 numbers, but Gov. Whitmer’s COVID briefing on TuesdayMichigan is down to 144 cases of COVID-19 per million people per day. AdAfter the briefing ended, Michigan announced 563 daily COVID-19 cases. “Just as it has been these past 11 months, our success at this point is fragile,” Whitmer said. “That’s the nature of this virus.”At one point, Michigan was reporting more than 9,000 COVID-19 cases per day.

Michigan officials are testing for the South Africa variant of COVID-19. LANSING, Mich. – The variant of COVID-19 linked to South Africa has not yet been found in Michigan, according to the state’s top doctor. Whitmer’s COVID briefing on TuesdayAdBut at this point, Michigan doesn’t have any confirmed cases of the COVID-19 variant that’s been traced back to South Africa. “For the South Africa variant, I’ll say, we do not, at this point, know of any of that variant that is located in the state of Michigan,” Khaldun said. Michigan laboratories are doing whole-genome sequencing for any possible samples of the South Africa variant, she said.

Gretchen Whitmer was asked Tuesday about her latest battle with state Republicans over the handling of COVID-19, she said judgement of her actions will be left up to Michigan voters when election time arrives. Ad“I’m not going to predict where it’s headed, and I’m not going to use words like that,” Whitmer said. I think, work, live, breath this job 24 hours a day, seven days a week. AdLegislators had already revealed a week prior that they planned to let the state of emergency expire, only to watch Whitmer announce an extension without their approval that very day. Michigan legislators filed a lawsuit against Whitmer, saying she acted “beyond her authority” by extending the state of emergency without their backing.

LANSING, Mich. – Despite the continuing spread of a COVID-19 variant in the state, Michigan’s overall virus numbers continue to improve, according to officials. The case rate is steadily declining and is down 81% from the mid-November peak, she said. The number of new COVID-19 cases was 563. Since the start of the pandemic, the state has confirmed 569,980 COVID-19 cases and 14,965 virus-related deaths. These improvements come despite the spread of the B117 variant across the state.

Gretchen Whitmer said the state is “strongly encouraging” school districts to provide as much in-person learning as possible. In January, Whitmer set a goal for all Michigan school districts to offer an in-person learning option for students by the start of March. Teachers have been eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine for more than a month now, as the state hopes to make a return to in-person learning safer. Whitmer’s COVID briefing on Tuesday“We are strongly encouraging districts provide as much face-to-face learning as possible, because it is just crucial for the success of our kids,” Whitmer said. “We also know that in-person learning can be done safely, and in many school districts across the state, this is already happening,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

LANSING, Mich. – The COVID-19 B117 variant continues to spread in Michigan, and the state has now confirmed a total of 45 cases across 10 different counties. Whitmer’s COVID briefing on Tuesday“While our numbers continue to trend overall in the right direction, I’m very concerned about what we are seeing with the new B117 variant,” Khaldun said. All three of those metrics are improving, but the spread of the COVID-19 variant puts that progress in jeopardy. AdThe number of new COVID-19 cases was 563. Since the start of the pandemic, the state has confirmed 569,980 COVID-19 cases and 14,965 virus-related deaths.

LANSING, Mich. – As a variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread in Michigan, Gov. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, revealed Tuesday that the state has confirmed 45 cases of the COVID-19 B117 variant across 10 Michigan counties. Whitmer’s COVID briefing on TuesdayAd“While our numbers continue to trend overall in the right direction, I’m very concerned about what we are seeing with the new B117 variant,” Khaldun said. The number of new COVID-19 cases was 563. Since the start of the pandemic, the state has confirmed 569,980 COVID-19 cases and 14,965 virus-related deaths.

More cases of B117 variantLast week, Khaldun said 28 combined cases of the COVID-19 variant B117 had been confirmed in Wayne and Washtenaw counties. AdSouth Africa variantAt this point, Michigan doesn’t have any confirmed cases of the COVID-19 variant that’s been traced back to South Africa. “For the South Africa variant, I’ll say, we do not at this point know of any of that variant that is located in the state of Michigan,” Khaldun said. “But we have not identified that one, as of yet in the state,” Khaldun said. COVID vaccinations in MichiganLast week, Whitmer announced more than 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in Michigan.

DETROIT – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is holding a briefing at noon Saturday, Oct. 3 to discuss the ongoing Detroit Department of Transportation driver work stoppage. The briefing comes as city officials try getting drivers back to work. Today’s briefing is taking place at Spirit Plaza right outside the Coleman A Young Municipal Center.

Gretchen Whitmer will hold a briefing on the states ongoing response to coronavirus (COVID-19) on Wednesday morning. Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun will hold the briefing at 11 a.m. -- watch it live in the video player above. This will be the first COVID-19 briefing held by the governor in more than a week. COVID-19 cases have continued to slow in Michigan. The state reported 74 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, June 15, and has not had a daily case count of more than 300 since May 31.

County Executive David Coulter will unveil the reopening kits and guidance for Oakland County small businesses during a news conference at the warehouse where the kits are being assembled. The county plans to distribute 10,000 kits utilizing Global Office Solutions of Novi and various downtown development authorities, chambers of commerce, Main Street Oakland County communities, municipalities, and more. Watch Live below:

Published: May 26, 2020, 9:11 am Updated: May 26, 2020, 3:43 pmDETROIT Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer held a briefing on Tuesday to address the states ongoing response to coronavirus. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended the stay-at-home order late last week, but there are still segments of the state that will reopen this week. Michigan is now under a stay-at-home order until June 12, and a state of emergency until June 19.

Gretchen Whitmer is expected to hold a briefing on Thursday morning to address the states ongoing response to coronavirus. Whitmer sent a letter to President Trump requesting federal aid in responding to the catastrophic flooding in Midland County. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate as water surged into their streets, homes, and businesses in the county of Midland, said Gov. The governor then called on President Trump to declare an emergency for Midland County on an expedited basis. Whitmer on mid-Michigan floods: Devastation, possible legal action, peak flood level

Michigan reported 999 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the second straight day showing an increase after several days of slowing growth. Whitmer said the state is increasing testing capacity, with new sites opening across the area this week. Stay-home orderMichigan’s current stay-home order expires on May 1. Whitmer said it’s likely the state will need a short-term extension of the stay-home order, but said she’s working on plans to reopen in phases, and will offer details as soon as Friday. New today: AP-NORC poll: Few Americans support easing virus protections“A second wave would be devastating to our state,” Whitmer said.

Whitmer said the state is seeing a slowing of COVID-19 inpatients in hospitals, but data shows more than 4,600 hospitalized in the state. Michigan COVID-19 data. Whitmer also said testing is picking up, while positive tests are not increasing in line with testing. Michigan COVID-19 data. (MDHHS)Michigan COVID-19 data.