East Michigan News

Some in Michigan -- such as Mike Wilkinson of Bridge Michigan -- think that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is manipulating the truth about COVID-19 vaccine distribution and has mishandled business closures during the pandemic.

“To hear the governor tell it, Michigan is doing better than almost any state at administering the coronavirus vaccine, even though Republicans say the rollout is a nightmare,” Wilkinson wrote in an op-ed in Bridge Michigan.

For example, Wilkinson said Whitmer claimed the state was ranked sixth in the country for vaccinating residents some days and 10th or 11th on other days. Initially, Michigan ranked 45th in doses of vaccine administered per 100,000 people.

Lately, though, the state has ranked 17th, which is an improvement, but Wilkinson said Whitmer is claiming much more impressive figures.

“After the first wave of stories about the state’s low ranking, Whitmer’s administration told reporters in early January that new numbers later that day would show the state was in the top five,” Wilkinson said, according to Bridge Michigan.

In fact, Bridge Michigan said Michigan is near the bottom in giving the vaccines, and a recent claim of 11th place is misleading, since Michigan is the 10th-most populated state in the country, and vaccines are distributed depending on the numbers of residents.

Wilkinson said at the end of January, Whitmer claimed Michigan was sixth best in the country, despite the fact the state is behind 19 other states in terms of the rate of vaccinations.

The column also blasted the governor for overreaching concerning business closures, claiming she had shut down most of the state, further damaging its economy. As an example, Michigan has continued to ban indoor dining until just recently. Bars and restaurants were finally allowed to reopen Feb. 1, but with a 25% seating capacity limit. 

Closures of such venues as indoor contact sports had been described by critics as “arbitrary” and “punishing shutdowns.” Schools, restaurants and other businesses were closed with gatherings limited, which was extended through January. Such closings continued, despite other businesses -- such as auto repair, stores and movie theaters -- being open.

As a result, tens of thousands of bar and restaurant workers lost their jobs, and the state’s unemployment rate in December was at 7.5%, the 12th highest in the country.

Wilkinson said Whitmer’s claims that the COVID-19-related business restrictions had saves thousands of lives -- 2,800 to be exact -- had also been inflated. Whitmer portrayed the number of deaths at 2.6% from coronavirus cases, rather than the factual 1.8%, Wilkinson noted.