Gretchen Whitmer held a live discussion Tuesday to address Michigan’s economy and how to get back on track by defeating COVID-19. Whitmer was joined by State Budget Director David Massaron and State Treasurer Rachel Eubanks. Michigan announced 1,738 new cases of COVID-19 and 41 additional deaths Tuesday, bringing the state totals to 540,115 cases and 13,865 deaths since the start of the pandemic. On Sunday, state officials confirmed the first case of the new COVID-19 variant had been found in Michigan. Restaurants are still closed for indoor dining, and entertainment venues aren’t allowed to serve food and drink concessions.