Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will join a telephone town hall with Michigan Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, and state Rep. John Cherry, D-Flint, Tuesday to answer questions about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The State Innovation Exchange will host the town hall from 4-5 p.m. Tuesday. Residents who wish to participate can register to receive a call back when the town hall begins until 2 pm or can call into (888) 886-6603 to join at the start of the event.

Other officials participating in the town hall include Steve Gray, director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency; Dr. Lawrence Reynolds, health advisor to Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley and Kirk Smith, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Flint Health Coalition.

Michigan had 25,635 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state Monday, and 1,602 people have died from the virus.

Of the confirmed cases, 988 are in Genesee County, and 77 people in the county have died from the virus.

Over 40% of deaths caused by COVID-19 in Michigan have been among African Americans, despite the group making up only 14% of the state’s population.

Whitmer created a task force last week that will recommend ways to address these racial disparities.

Whitmer also extended Michigan’s stay-at-home order through April 30 to minimize further spread of COVID-19.

Andrew Roth is a reporter and photographer covering politics and policy in Michigan, as well technology, culture and their convergence. Andrew is a journalism student at Michigan State University and first...