Whitmer Discusses Michigan's Small Business Survival Grant Program
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer held a press conference Wednesday afternoon providing updates on the State's response to COVID-19.
- To date the state has administered 1,657,215 vaccines. Michigan is ninth nationwide for total vaccines administered Whitmer said.
- It's been 22 days since Whitmer announced the MI Recovery Plan which would provide crucial support for Michigan families, small businesses and frontline workers. The MI COVID Recovery Plan unleashes over $5 billion in bipartisan federal aid funds.
- There's $575 million to expand COVID testing tracing and lab capacity in Michigan.
- $225 million to support small businesses.
- Several other key investments to keep Michigan families afloat including unemployment benefits, food programs and rental assistance.
"Right now, we're leaving that $5 billion just sitting on the table. Other states are deploying these resources, Michigan needs to as well," said Whitmer. "The recovery plan will help us reach our shared goals. Putting people back to work. Sending kids to school safely. We can do these things but we need to have the resources to make sure we are successful at it."
- Whitmer announced nearly 6,000 small businesses across Michigan awarded $52.5 million through Michigan Small Business Survival Grant Program.
- Approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund on Jan. 14, the Michigan Small Business Survival Grant Program allocated $55 million to provide support to Michigan small businesses to meet the urgent need of businesses that experienced a significant financial hardship due to COVID-19 emergency "gatherings and face mask orders."
- The program allowed for grants of up to $20,000 to be awarded to businesses that are fully closed, with grants of up to $15,000 awarded to businesses that have been partially closed, or otherwise are open and can demonstrate an impact.
- A total of 5 percent of overall funding for the program was able to go toward administrative costs of the economic development organizations administering the grants.
Here are updates from Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services chief medical executive and chief deputy director for health.
- Case rates continue to decline and are at 113 cases per million which is down 85 percent from the mid-November peak.
- 3.9 percent of tests in the state are coming back positive. This has also declined over the past five weeks as well.
- 5.2 percent of hospital beds are being used to treat COVID-19 patients which is down 79 percent from the state's late fall peak.
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