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Gov. Whitmer announces $5 billion commitment from Huntington to boost Michigan economy

Updated  September 2, 2020 2:10pm EDT
Coronavirus in Michigan
FOX 2 Detroit

(FOX 2) - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is announcing a community plan in partnership with Huntington Bancshares that will give $5 billion in small business support, social equity, economic inclusion and affordable housing.

The partnership was announced during Gov. Whitmer's news conference Wednesday afternoon. Many were hoping and expecting an announcement on the reopening of gyms, movie theaters and other social businesses, but earlier on Wednesday FOX 2's political analyst Tim Skubick learned that the governor is not expected to speak on that during this news conference.

Whitmer also announced 20 new neighborhood COVID-19 testing facilities which will be free and will be spread throughout the entire state. Testing will be free and hosted by community college, churches, and more facilities.

In the next several months, the bank will announce specific initiatives to support small businesses, consumers and communities. The plan will evolve as Huntington continues to listen and take action to meet the changing needs of Michigan’s communities.  
  
“This is great news for Michigan’s small-business owners who have faced unprecedented challenges as we have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic over the past six months,” said Governor Whitmer. “These are Michiganders who have spent their lives building their businesses and who need our help now more than ever. I am proud to work with Huntington Bank as they continue to provide support to our small-business owners and build strong communities in our state, and I’m committed to continue working on behalf of small-business owners as we fight back against COVID-19.”  

Meanwhile, daily cases in Michigan have plateaued and death and hospitalization rates remain low. 

At the last news conference, Dr. Khaldun said the 7-day average for testing in Michigan is 28,000 tests per day, which means over 2% of Michigan's population is being tested per week, which is the goal.

She said the percent positive overall in Michigan right now is holding steady at 3.3%. The goal is to get the percent positive below 3%, which would indicate community spread is not happening.