Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said there was no political motivation behind the state health department awarding a contract for coronavirus tracking to a Democrat-backed firm.
“The Department thought that vendor was the best one for some reason. I don’t know what that reason was, but I do know that the Department of Health and Human Services doesn’t have a political bone in their theoretical body. They moved forward with this vendor, but they should have gone through the SEOC, which is the clearinghouse for all of this work,” Whitmer said Wednesday. “This was as unnecessary distraction and I think leadership is about solving problems, the correct process was not followed. We are fixing it because it’s important to get this right, because this work is incredibly important.”
Whitmer, who has been under fire from conservatives and supporters of President Trump for executive orders aimed at slowing the spread of the virus, said the contract was awarded by the state health department, not her office.
As soon as she found out about the contract with liberal data firm NGP VAN she “canceled it,” she claimed.
But Republicans in Michigan suggest something is afoot.
“Something does not add up and Michigan taxpayers deserve answers,” said Tori Sachs, executive director of Michigan Rising Action, according to the Detroit Free Press.
“I want to know what safeguards the governor has in place to ensure the information gathered during this COVID-19 response doesn’t wind up in the hands of any campaigns,” state Rep. Shane Hernandez, a Republican, said.
Contact tracing is a key element federal and state health officials say will be needed in order to reopen the local economy.
According to the CDC, the practice involves:
- “Trace and monitor contacts of infected people. Notify them of their exposure.
- Support the quarantine of contacts. Help ensure the safe, sustainable and effective quarantine of contacts to prevent additional transmission.
- Expand staffing resources. Contact tracing in the US will require that states, tribes, localities and territorial establish large cadres of contact tracers.
- Use digital tools. Adoption and evaluation of digital tools may expand reach and efficacy of contact tracers.”
Michigan’s statewide stay-at-home order is in effect through the end of April, and Whitmer has hinted that she might need to extend it again.
