LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday extended Michigan’s coronavirus emergency through Sept. 4, enabling her to keep in place restrictions designed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The governor, whose administration earlier this week said new cases had recently plateaued, noted that they still remain higher than nearly two months ago and that many students will return to in-person instruction over the next month.

The seven-day statewide average is up six-fold since June 10, to about 700 cases per day, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. The rate of tests coming back positive also has trended higher since early June.

“I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to protect Michiganders from the spread of this virus,” Whitmer said in a statement.

The Democratic governor has used the emergency –î first declared in March –î to issue orders to close certain businesses, limit gathering sizes, and require masks in enclosed public spaces and crowded outdoor places. The Republican-led Legislature challenged Whitmer’s ability to unilaterally lengthen the emergency but lost in the state Court of Claims. The Michigan Court of Appeals heard arguments on Tuesday. Separately, a federal judge asked the state Supreme Court to consider whether the governor has the authority to issue or renew her orders and whether laws giving her emergency powers are constitutional. The high court will hear arguments in September.

Whitmer on Friday also reissued an order prohibiting employers from discharging, disciplining or retaliating against workers who stay home when they or their close contacts are sick. The latest measure reflects updated federal guidance on how long to self-quarantine and an updated definition of the disease’s primary symptoms.

The governor said people will feel more pressure to work now that the federal government’s extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits has lapsed.