And pig barbecue and delta township, Kendra Patterson the coowner of michigan barn wood and salvage animation while mason, michigan. Yesterday the epidemic ordered that the department of health and Human Services issued limiting indoor gatherings were covid19 easily spread went into effect. I want to remind everyone that these actions are both targeted and intended to be temporary. These steps are with the Public Health experts tell us we need to take to avoid overwhelm the hospitals and death counseling we saw in the spring. Doing this will also protect our medical workers, our First Responders, and other essential workers who put their lives on the line to protect the rest of us. People usually call front liner liners. But i hesitate to use that phrase because it implies there is a second line. We have to respect the people who have been on the frontline. Because they are what is keeping us safe. We must all Work Together here. We have her weekly data call on tuesday evening marie got an update from her Health Experts. This is the fourth call that we have had with Michigan Legislatures on it. Including six democrats and six republicans from the house and senate. I am hopeful that when the Legislature Returns from their hunting break, republicans will share their plans for addressing the Public Health emergency our state is facing. We must do everything that we can to protect each other from this virus. Because this virus doesnt care who you are. Any one of us can contract covid19. Dave is a 28yearold resident physician and what of the busiest Emergency Rooms in michigan. On the west side of the state. He is an avid exerciser but he works out five times a week and has no significant chronic medical conditions. He was diagnosed with covid19 earlier this month. I was admitted to the hospital because he could barely walk ten steps. Dave is one of the heroes that is stayed on the frontline of this crisis for the past eight months. And for eight months, he has seen the worst part of this pandemic. He has seen all kinds of people admitted to the hospital with covid19. He has watch a Family Member say goodbye to their loved ones for the last time. And yet every morning, he wakes up, he puts on his ppe and heads into work. In a Facebook Post last week dave urged his fellow michiganders to do their part. Heres what he said. Think about the families who want to be of their loved ones but they are sick but cant. Think how silly it sounds to complain about a mask when there are literally people gasping for air. It is up to all of us to stop the spread of covid. It is not just affect the old and frail, it affects all of us. We are all at risk for getting sick. Please wear your mask. Do your part to stop the spread. I note this has been a tough time for all of us, top or for many that i can even imagine. We all owe it to dave into the brave men and women on the front line to do our part and take this seriously. Especially as we head into thanksgiving next week. I know youve all heard me talk about thanksgiving a number of times these past couple of weeks. But like i said before, we are going to get through this. We are doing our part too only protect our loved ones and stay apart this holiday. We are preserving future holiday gatherings together by taking this seriously now. By not gather with people outside of your household this thanksgiving, it is an act of kindness and love. I read an article yesterday that mentioned a group of 11 Family Members and friends that recently gathered for a simple night of cards in the upper peninsula. Shortly there after all 11 got sick with covid. Their stories not unique. We note that gathering indoors with people who live outside of our homes, not Wearing Masks is exactly how this virus spreads. Recently, healthcare members of the upc and i joint statement urging everyone to did their part to stop the spread. Heres what they said. It has been a long haul and we are not done with covid19 yet. You must slow the spread of this virus but it is up to you to choose to do the right things and have compassion for others. Even if it means you must make small personal sacrifices like wearing a mask and skipping a holiday gathering. These are small prices to pay to protect your life in the health and lives of others. If we listen to the medical experts, we are going to beat this virus. We beat this last time by listening to these medical Health Experts. And we can, we will do it again. If we do it together. Despite leaders across our country urging our congress and white house to Work Together, we still dont have a bipartisan relief package and the federal government. The present has spent more energy spreading untruth about the election outcome that he has listening to Health Experts in protecting american people. Today, democratic leader in the senate, House Speaker of democratic leader chris greg and i sent a letter to mitch mcconnell, speaker nancy pelosi, senator chuck schumer, represented Kevin Mccarthy urging them all to take swift action to pass a covid19 relief a bill that meets the scale of this crisis. I did ask the republican leader in both the senate and House Speaker to sign onto this letter as well. But they declined. It is really crucial that we come together. It is crucial that this relief bill gets passed. Because it includes aid to the state and local to help combat the virus. To mitigate the economic fallout spray to provide support for our kids and her educators. To protect the nurses and doctors and people on the frontline. To help but our restaurants who are struggling. In our Small Businesses and so many who are out of work. Federal support was essential to the action that we took to fight this pandemic this spring. And it helps us save our economy in the early parts of the pandemic right now during the worst surgery seen since he started this, as you get in states across the country need more support to protect their families, frontline workers and Small Businesses. We also need unemployment relief to help the millions of americans who have lost work due to this pandemic. Nearly 3 million michigan workers and counting have applied for Unemployment Benefits since the start of the pandemic. With more than 600,000 still receiving benefits. Rising infections are likely to lead too more layoffs that will only drive that number higher. It is imperative that Congress Take action now to extend ui provisions of the cares act. To provide relief to those who lost their job through no fault of their own. To help us get to this tough time and strengthen our economy. Over 600,000 michigan workers are currently receiving unemployment assistance. With more than 80 of those workers relying on the soon to expire cares act program. This means that if congress does not act, almost half of a Million People in our state could lose access to these critical benefits that have served as a lifeline for these people and their families. I also want to urge the Michigan Legislature to extend on Employment Benefits beyond december 31 of this year. This was one of my executive orders. The legislature extended but only through the end of this year. And that is not going to cut it. It should be one of the first orders of business with the Legislature Returns from their hunting break. We know that this pandemic will not be over by the new year. While there are truly promising developments like the pfizer and moderna vaccines, we know that they will not be ready for widespread distribution to the general population for months. I was proud of the bipartisan work that we did to extend Unemployment Benefits to the people of michigan. Now we have to Work Together again to ensure people can put food on the table for themselves and their families and pay their heating bills this winter. My administration has taken a number of steps to provide support for Small Businesses during this pandemic. I want to mention just a few that ive not talked about in a while. The michigan covid19 Safety Grants Program has awarded matching funds up to 10000 to decrease the risk of covid19 transmission in the workplace through the purchase of health and safety related equipment. The Weatherization Grant Program provides reimbursement Grant Funding to help Small Businesses including bars and restaurants winterize. With the new my osha Ambassador Program businesses across the state can now schedule covid19 safety consultations as part of the new Ambassador Program partnership with Nsf International and my osha. On the Small Business restart program of the Small BusinessRelief Program provide funds to Small Businesses that are struggling. As black friday in the Holiday Season approaches there are steps that each of us can take it the individual level to help Small Businesses in our communities. If you get ready for the holidays i urge you to support local businesses. And ensure you are staying safe. Art wearing your masks and respecting the safety of the people that only Small Businesses and their employees. Under the end eh h epidemic order retail remains open with strict Safety Measures in place. Michigan barn would end mesa supports over 75 michigan artisans. They sell everything from candle comments or clothing to metal signs in the showroom. Their 15000 squarefoot lumberyard contains reclaimed barn wood of all colors and dimensions. Most importantly they have made a commitment to stay safe to this pandemic businesses in michigan are required by law to enforce strict Safety Measures to protect their employees, their customers and their families. So if you walk into a business and they are not Wearing Masks and not looking out for your safety, i encourage you to walk out. Next week the Michigan Economic Development corporation will rollout initiative to encourage michiganders to support local businesses in collaboration with small local businesses across the state. Lets embrace Small Business saturday every day in the coming weeks and months. Even if we are doing it in a slightly different way. Because theres nothing more Pure Michigan then supporting our local businesses here at home. In fact if we switch to one intent of our outofstate purchases to local stores, michigan began one point to billion dollars in increased economic activity. Just 10 of your outofstate purchasing, staying here at home has a massive impact on these businesses, these families, and right here at home. So this season let shop local. Lets dine at local. Get that takeout. State local and support Small Businesses and workers that are the heartbeat of our communities. I also want to welcome bryan from smoke and pig barbecue in the lansing area. Theyve shown a deep commitment to keeping the community safe. Like many restaurants in michigan they are still open for takeout. For takeout and delivery. I know that there are a lot of restaurants in our state that are worried about the weeks to come. I am worried too. I urge all michiganders to support your Favorite Local restaurant by ordering takeout and delivery or buying a gift card for yourself later, or for your friends that help these businesses now. We also called on the present repeatedly to pass a bipartisan support package to help restaurants and restaurant employees that are struggling. And i will not stop until our restaurants and Small Businesses have the support they need to get through this tough time. Covid19 doesnt discriminate. It does not discriminate if you are young or old, if you are a trump republican or a bite and democrats. You are a wolverine. This virus can be deadly for everyone. So these next three weeks are so crucial. We flattened the curve in the spring by listening to our Public Health and medical exper expert. We can do this again. You have the power to help us push this curb down. Everyone of us has the power to make choices that contribute to that. And it is going to take all of us working together. This is my last press conference before thanksgiving. Once again, i urge all of you to be smart and do everything in your power to keep your loved one safe. We will get through this together. With that, i bring up. [inaudible] thank you governor. Good afternoon everyone. Today we are announcing 285,000 cases and 8324 total deaths due to covid19 in michigan. We are still singing exponential exponential rise in cases across the state. Our case rates range from 418 cases per million in the Traverse City region to 934 cases per million in the grand rapids region. Positivity rate is 9 need Traverse City to 16 in the grand rapids in kalamazoo regions. Every region in the state is seeing alarming case and test positivity rates. Our hospitals are closer our Public Health system is also becoming overwhelmed. Contacted tracers, may not be able to reach everyone the need to internally way. It is very possible that if youve been exposed to someone with covid19, are contacted tracers may not be able to be in touch with you quickly enough to let you know that you need to quarantine. That is why we are encouraging everyone to download my covid19 alert app. It is simple, its privacy protected defending seward be notified of if youve been exposed to somebody who has covid19. You can download it on your phone from your app store or go to www. Michigan. God my covid19 alert. Almost 3000 people across the state have already downloaded the app. Its helped identified contacted dozens of cases already. The more people than healthy up, the better it works. So please download it today. It is simple and easy thing the weekend of to do your part during this pandemic. On the governor said, next week is thanksgiving and it certainly one of my favorite holidays but this year, is simply has to be different. Encouraging everyone to please the right thing and avoid having thanksgiving with anyone outside of your household. Today in fact the cdc announced clear recommendations and people should not be traveling for thanksgiving to visit friends or family. Especially if someone from your household or someone that you may be visiting is at risk of getting very sick from covid19. Like the elderly, or people who may have underlying medical conditions. The smartest thing is not together. Perhaps you can drop some food off on the part of your loved one. So they can enjoy cooking but do not go inside of the house. You can set up Virtual Conference calls. You can use zoom, so everyone can call in at the same time and say what they are think before. Indoor gatherings are a major 20 is spreading right now. And at the rate we are sing in the states, it is very likely of your gathering thanksgiving, the virus will also be around the table with you. People will be morning vanessa and their loved ones onion new years. So i would rather make smart decisions now and look forward to next year and we can celebrate them together alive. Coming talk more about that covid19 vaccine. There are two vaccines that are joint promising data thus far. And states. The Clinical Trials the may be available before the end of this year for distribution freedom those vaccines are approved by the cdc, our state will be ready to oversee distribution of them. Working with hospitals, local Health Departments and community partners. I can tell you that i have reviewed and a new trust the process that is currently being moved forward by the fda. If a group of accomplished Public Health medical experts will have to review the data in the Vaccine Information before it is made available. An accurate it is out of the public, their systems in place so that any potential Adverse Reactions are appropriately tracked and monitored and recorded. Thats exactly what happens. Vaccine. And are more systems in place for covid19 vaccine. Only if the data and the science and the National Experts tell us that the vaccine is safe and effective, will we be distributing it here in michigan. As a government in it, because there will be limitations on the number of Vaccines Available especially in the beginning, initia