After protesting without protection or social distancing in Lansing last month, people then spread throughout the state.

First of all, how do we know that?  Is the government spying on us?  No.  Actually, over 300 people that were in Lansing on April 15th had opted to share their location in many of the apps on their smartphone.  If you're thinking you have not opted in, you might want to check the terms of service on your apps and your setting in your phone.  VoteMap used geo-location data provided by hundreds of apps for devices in Lansing during the protest and then tracked their movements.  The fear that protesters could spread covid-19 by ignoring the executive order, social distancing and wearing masks followed by traveling all over Michigan was backed up by the data according to the Metro Times,

Metro Times analysis found at least 24 counties reported a higher rate of increase in new cases over the past 10 days than those in metro Detroit's tri-county area.

The Metro Times analysis mentioned above points out that 81% of all Michigan cases were in the Detroit area during the protest.  That number dropped to 71% two weeks after the protest.  Many more new cases have popped up in smaller counties that seem to match the cellphone data movement of the protesters.

Will the fact that protesters likely contracted the virus in Lansing and then brought it back to their homes change their minds?  Only time will tell.

It's important to point out that we all want the same thing.  Regardless of political affiliation I think we can agree we don't want people to die and we want life to get back to normal.  Instead of fighting over how to make that happen, being unified in fighting this virus is clearly the only way we're going to get back to business anytime soon.

Stay up to date on what's happening with Covid-19 in Michigan, county by county, by clicking here.

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