DETROIT (WXYZ) — The White House is calling attention to the city of Detroit for its effective response in combating the deadly coronavirus. Mayor Mike Duggan says he’s proud of Detroiters for stepping up to fight against the coronavirus and there is still more work to be done.

“Detroit and the mayor have done an extraordinary job with social distancing,” said Dr. Deborah Birx, head of the U.S. Coronavirus Task Force, during a recent press conference. “We really want to thank the mayor for making sure everyone is receiving adequate health care and testing.”

Her comments have the mayor responding by saying, “To see Dr. Birx on a national stage single out Detroit as the most extraordinary city in the country bending the curve, was a really special day for me.”

The words from the doctor come after the mayor teamed with hospital leaders to setup drive thru testing at the State Fairgrounds.

Also, the creation of a 1,000 bed field hospital at the TCF Center, 15 minute testing for first responders and nursing home residents, have all made a difference.

“Dr. Birx didn’t just credit me," Duggan said. "She credited 700,000 people from Detroit nationally. She showed we were on the fastest rise in the country for a while there, and we have bent the curve dramatically while others have continued to go up."

He adds, “We’ve done it without curfew or closing parks. I see all over the city people are wearing masks and being very respectful of their neighbors.”

That’s not all, starting Monday, Detroit will be first to test without prescriptions and will offer to test all essential workers from Detroit businesses such as Meijer and CVS.

The city is also planning a memorial service soon to honor those who’ve lost their lives.

Additional coronavirus information and resources:

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View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.

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