LANSING – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer targeted education and help for unemployed people in a $67.1-billion state budget unveiled Thursday that she said is aimed at ensuring the state recovers quickly from the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic.
Improving bridges, roads and other state infrastructure is also a major focus of the budget plan, which proposes no tax increases.
In terms of priorities, Whitmer said her 2022 spending plan cannot be separated from a $5.6-billion supplemental spending plan for 2021 that she requested in January as a major coronavirus recovery package. It proposes $225 million aimed at small businesses, more than $90 million to step up vaccinations, and billions for food assistance and schools. It has not yet been approved by the GOP-controlled Legislature.
After hospital outcry, Michigan backs away from plan to send majority of COVID vaccine doses to counties
Hospital association said it was disappointed in decision
County leaders have complained of receiving too few doses
Nic Antaya for Crain s Detroit Business
Health systems will get a decreasing share of vaccine shipments going forward, according to state health officials.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has backed off a plan to send 70 percent of COVID-19 vaccines to local health departments after hospital systems decried the move.
Earlier this week, the state health department informed hospitals and county health agencies of its intent to decrease allocations of vaccine to hospitals from 40 percent to 30 percent of the state s weekly supply.
Michigan decreasing COVID vaccine allotments to hospitals, increasing them to counties crainsdetroit.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from crainsdetroit.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
LANSING — If Michigan could administer 50,000 coronavirus vaccine doses a day, it could hit its goal of inoculating 70% of people age 16 and older by August.At the current rate, about 29,000 per day, it would not finish until a year from now.The issue is limited supplies — something Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and health officials hope can be addressed as new President Joe Biden takes the helm amid the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history and as more contagious virus variants spread.
DAVID EGGERT
LANSING If Michigan could administer 50,000 coronavirus vaccine doses a day, it could hit its goal of inoculating 70% of people age 16 and older by August.
At the current rate, about 29,000 per day, it would not finish until a year from now.
The issue is limited supplies something Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and health officials hope can be addressed as new President Joe Biden takes the helm amid the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history and as more contagious virus variants spread.
“That’s our universal frustration,” the Democratic governor said. “We have the capacity and the plan to do a lot more vaccinations quicker. But the federal government … it’s been hard. They have not gotten us what we need.”