In short, this is Whitmer’s moment in ways that are both incredibly trying and profile-boosting. But when we spoke on the phone recently, there was zero stress in her voice to suggest that she is juggling career-changing crises and she sounded almost improbably cheerful. She said she respects protestors’ “right to dissent” and that her primary concern about the demonstrations is they could lead to further Covid-19 outbreaks as a result of refusal to social distance and wear masks. “It’s important that if people are determined to demonstrate, they do so responsibly,” Whitmer told Refinery29. “In a way that doesn’t jeopardize their own health or their families, but also that doesn’t expose their community. We have seen that people have come from around the state and then they return into their communities. We are watching rural parts of Michigan where we have case numbers that have increased, and that is very concerning because they didn’t have cases before and they do now.” Still, she is continuing to relax measures when experts deem it safe to do so: Today, she announced that gatherings of up to 10 people, with social distancing, are again permitted in the state . On Monday, she announced the reopening of restaurants and shops in the northern, less populous, part of the state, but urged people to stay cautious and follow safety guidelines.