Gretchen Whitmer calls for stricter restrictions as coronavirus cases surge in US Midwest

Even as vaccination drives are in full swing, the possibility of another wave of the deadly coronavirus is not far away in the US Midwest.

The rate of hospitalisations is alarmingly increasing in Michigan, and the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are running out of space for coronavirus patients.

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As per Johns Hopkins University data, nearly 7,226 cases have been reported on a daily basis in the past week.

Michigan’s public health system is struggling to meet the demand as the system has been overwhelmed, Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s top medical official warned.

Following the surge of coronavirus cases in the state, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has had to re-impose strict restrictions on people and he has urged people to start wearing masks and step out of the houses only in cases of emergency.

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"A year in, we all know what works and this has to be a team effort," Whitmer said. "We have to do this together. Lives depend on it."

The state has also decided to temporarily suspend in-person classes and return to virtual learning till the cases decrease.

It is not just Michigan, Minnesota, too, is observing a surge in the cases as the state reported 2,659 new infections on Friday.

However, Governor Tim Walz has not yet called for stricter restrictions but has asked the federal government to speed up the vaccine delivery.

"We are seeing hospitalisations going up. It’s very challenging," he said. "I watch the numbers every day and I’m hypersensitive to what direction the state is going and what we need to do next."