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Watch: Gov. Whitmer taking 10% pay cut

Posted at 2:56 PM, Apr 20, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-20 16:57:47-04

LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer provided another update on the state's response to coroanvirus on Monday afternoon.

Whitmer announced at the news conference that she would be taking a 10% pay cut as the state deals with the budget problems created by the coroanvirus pandemic, and she also asked her senior executive staff to take a 5% pay cut.

During the press conference, she also talked about personal protective equipment being donated to hospitals around Michigan and how there will soon be more contact tracing of coronavirus patients as more people are being trained.

As of Monday, there are 2,468 deaths and 32,000 cases of coronavirus in Michigan.

She said the curve appears to be flattening and the stay-at-home order is working, as "states without stay-at-home orders are seeing exponential increases still."

She added that living in a rural part of the state doesn't mean you're safe from coronavirus.

So far, 3,237 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Michigan as of April 17, according to state officials.

Michigan ranks fifth in the country in the number of cases, behind New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and third in the country in deaths, behind New York and New Jersey.

On Monday morning, Michigan House Republicans unveiled their three-tier plan to re-open Michigan.

Whitmer also signed an executive order today creating the Michigan Coroanvirus Task Force on Racial Disparities.

According to new numbers released on Monday afternoon, 40% of the deaths from COVID-19 are African-Americans in Michigan, despite African-Americans making up 13.6% of the state's population.

The governor's office said that the task force will work in an advisory capacity and study the causes of racial disparities in the impact of COVID-19 and recommend actions to address those disparities.

Watch the news conference below