By John J. Walsh, MMA President & CEO

Spread Hope, Not COVID

Nearly eight months have passed since our industry, our families and the world were confronted by the health and economic challenges posed by COVID-19. As state and federal officials responded to the pandemic with various actions that included an economic shut down, financial support for businesses and individuals, as well as rules and regulations affecting how we live and operate our businesses, few predicted that the various economic limitations would have lasted this long. I remember sending MMA staff home to work firmly believing that we would all be back by early summer.

Regrettably, COVID-19 remains a serious threat to our society as many states, including Michigan, are witnessing an increase in cases on a daily basis. Based on the information available to me from the Michigan Economic Recovery Council, a group of health professionals and industry leaders with which I am working closely, much of the increase can be attributed to a change in the weather forcing more individuals from outdoor activities to inside where the risk of transmission is greater, and the impact of fatigue on our fellow citizens and their willingness to comply with what seem to be everchanging rules.

But there are kernels of hope:

• While the hospitalization rate has increased as the number of new cases continues to rise, the hospitalization rate is a fraction of what we experienced in the spring and the average hospital stay has gone from eight days to six.
• The death rate, thankfully, continues to fall as health care officials respond with the knowledge and experience hard learned over the last eight months.
• Some of our members in the pharmaceutical industry are successfully moving toward approval of a vaccine. From an economic standpoint, the National Association of Manufacturers reported that the U.S. continues a strong economic recovery, jumping 33.1 percent in the third quarter, the largest increase in the history of their economic coverage dating back to 1947. This follows the steepest decline in history in the second quarter, contracting 31.4 percent. Still, despite soaring in the third quarter, real GDP is down 3.5 percent year to date. And manufacturing remains one of the safest places to be as a result of our industry’s willingness to place the safety of its workforce first and foremost. Many of the practices and procedures used in our industry and others were developed by manufacturers, long accustomed to risk management with focus on safety and collaboration with their employees as well as regulators. Based on this experience and the government reaction in Europe and states facing rising case levels, I firmly believe that a manufacturing shut down is highly unlikely. Still, we could face a challenge. Just last week, restaurants were saddled with more regulatory requirements despite the readily available evidence that they have reopened responsibly and safely.

As a result, we must remain vigilant on the job front while encouraging our employees to remain diligent in their approach to COVID-19 when outside of the workplace. The safety of our workforce and their continued health is critical to assuring our ongoing operations free of further regulatory involvement that could adversely impact our businesses. Thankfully, the MMA has been at the lead with the Whitmer Administration, MIOSHA and the Legislature in assuring that we have the appropriate level of regulation designed for safety and productivity — these are not mutually exclusive goals. Our work in Lansing has meaningfully impacted industry risks and regulations, including a relaxation of the temperature-taking requirement for manufacturers, greater flexibility in the remote work requirement in the MIOSHA emergency rule and the passage of liability protection for businesses.

We will continue our advocacy while helping you communicate with your employees. MMA has committed to helping support the state’s COVID-19 response through the “Spread Hope, Not COVID” campaign and resources are available for you to do the same. There are, of course, simple things we all can do — and while oft repeated I’ll do so again: personal hygiene, maintain your distance, stay home if you’re sick and wear a mask in public. While the ongoing pandemic will require our vigilance for a longer period of time than anyone could have imagined, manufacturers have the focus, vision and grit to see this through to resolution and a full recovery.