NEWS: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urges a 2-week suspension of in-person high school classes, all youth sports & indoor restaurant dining. She stops short of ordering restrictions, instead asking for voluntary compliance to slow spread of COVID-19 as cases, hospitalizations mount

Whitmer also renews her call for the federal government to send more J&J vaccines to Michigan. 'We really should be surging vaccines to states that are experiencing serious outbreaks.'

The state health department will issue guidance strongly encouraging high schools that stick with in-person classes to enroll in the state's free, rapid COVID-19 testing - similar to a recent requirement for teen athletes

The recommended pause on youth sports comes just as indoor winter sports are ending -- state basketball tourney, for instance -- and athletes shift to outdoor sports.

Asked why she thinks anyone will comply with recs now, Whitmer says she wanted to make people aware of how serious the situation is. Variants are bad. (She earlier said she is not taking anything off the table re: restrictions.)