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White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Birx visits metro Detroit

Updated  September 2, 2020 11:52pm EDT
Health Works sponsored by Henry Ford Health Systems
FOX 2 Detroit

LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2) - White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx visited metro Detroit Wednesday and met with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to discuss Michigan's response to COVID-19. 

Dr. Birx started her visit to St. Mary Mercy Health in Livonia with a closed-door roundtable chat, which we're told included the governor and a lot of appreciation. 

Dr. Birx thanks Michiganders for following COVID-19 guidelines

White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx visited metro Detroit and met with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to discuss Michigan's response to COVID-19.

"Thank you for following the guidelines and the mandate and keeping your cases down," she said. She said Michiganders are making a big difference with mask-wearing and social distancing and that we can't stop now. 

"We're going into Labor Day; please, wear your mask," she said. "When I say socially distance, it means at all times, including with family members that you may not have seen for a few weeks, including the neighbors down the street. It is really important because we are seeing that crowded neighborhood events, including backyard barbeques, are currently one of the primary spreaders of virus."

She says that, going into fall, we know what to do. 

"If you've been out and about you need to assume that you have COVID and if you visit Grandma, keep your mask on."

If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19, should you get tested even if you don't have symptoms? It's something the CDC reversed course on recently, but Dr. Birx still says - absolutely get tested. 
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/cdc-changes-testing-guidance-to-exclude-asymptomatic-people-exposed-to-covid-19-bewildering-experts

It's called asymptomatic surveillance testing, and it's important for students. 

"Every university across the United States that has students back or broad students back and then went online, so that there's students in off-campus housing, needs to have a testing strategy for their students and a care strategy for their students so they can remain in their town and in their institution and protected and isolated and cared for," she said. 

From here, Dr. Birx is on her way driving across the country to other communities encouraging people to follow the guidelines to help slow the spread of the virus.