LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Thursday tightened restrictions on indoor gatherings and restaurants, while moving the Traverse City region backward in Michigan’s reopening plan, saying coronavirus hospitalizations have doubled in three weeks and the statewide death rate has risen for five straight weeks.
Effective immediately, indoor venues without fixed seating must limit gatherings such as weddings, parties and banquets to no more than 50 people, down from a maximum of 500. Restaurants, bars and other venues must seat no more than six people at a table.
Beginning Monday, November 2, all dine-in establishments must keep customers’ names and phone numbers for contact-tracing purposes.
The state said indoor settings are as much as 20 times more likely to drive COVID-19 outbreaks than outdoor settings. It also recommended that people keep their voices down at social events, warning that shouting or cheering can increase the virus in the air by up to 30 times.
The Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, a trade organization that advocates for bars, immediately objected to the order. MLBA Exceutive Director Scott Ellis issued a statement, saying bars were already doing a good job keeping outbreaks to a minimum.
“Another day, another bar and restaurant regulation that looks good on paper. Why do they continue to pick on bars and restaurants when their own data continues to show that we are not a problem industry. It would be more productive to focus on identifying and solving the real problems” Ellis said.
“This puts an unnecessary burden on servers and staff who already have to deal with trouble customers who refuse to wear masks. The last time I checked, data collection was not in their job description.”
Michigan’s chief medical executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said during a Thursday afternoon virtual press conference on the new rules that coronavirus cases are surging in Michigan. She said the seven day average of new cases per million people per day is significantly higher than during Michigan’s last peak in April, and Khaldun said the number of outbreaks is growing.
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