UM, MSU Coaches Join Whitmer In Urging Michiganders To Wear Masks

MICHIGAN — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday was joined by coaches from two of Michigan's largest collegiate athletic programs in urging residents to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic.

Michigan State University women's basketball coach Suzy Merchant, U-M women’s basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico and Michigan State University men's basketball coach Tom Izzo all took the podium alongside Whitmer.

"I'm not (here as) really a Spartan or Wolverine. We are Michigan people. And we're here to support our state," Merchant said. "If we want our kids to be in school in the fall, we have to wear a mask."

Don't miss important updates from health and government officials on the impact of the coronavirus in Michigan. Sign up for Patch's daily newsletters and email alerts.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released a new television ad featuring MSU football coach Mel Tucker, MSU men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo, Merchant, U-M football coach Jim Harbaugh, U-M men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard and Arico.

In the ad — which will air on local television stations across the state — the rival coaches join together to promote the importance of wearing masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

"Sadly, as we've all seen over the last few months, this common opponent is a deadly opponent," Izzo said during the news conference, adding he has been disappointed that more residents haven't been wearing masks. "There's no test that we can't handle, especially when we tackle it together."

Whitmer last week signed executive order 2020-147, which reiterates that individuals are required to wear a face covering whenever they are in an indoor public space. It also requires the use of face coverings in crowded outdoor spaces. The order requires any business that is open to the public to refuse entry or service to people who refuse to wear a face covering, with limited exceptions. Governors in the states of Kansas, Maine, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Washington have imposed similar requirements on businesses.

However, how that order is to be enforced has been a hotly debated question, as many sheriffs across the state have said they will not do so.

Daily COVID-19 case counts now exceed 20 cases per million in the Detroit, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Jackson and Upper Peninsula regions, and exceed 40 cases per million in the Grand Rapids region, Whitmer said.

Studies have shown that wearing a mask can save lives and significantly lower an individual’s chance of spreading the coronavirus, Whitmer's office said. Whitmer said the face masks is the greatest tool residents have to fight the virus.

"This isn't about vanity. It's not about comfort. It's about protecting our family and our friends and our loved ones from getting sick," Whitmer said.

On Tuesday, Whitmer announced she was extending the state's state of emergency due to an uptick in cases of the coronavirus in every region around the state.