LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Although some businesses are slowly opening back up in Michigan, the stay at home order will remain in place into next month.
On Friday, May 22, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order extending Michigan’s “Safer at Home” order until June 12. The state of emergency declaration is also being extended until June 19.
In a written statement Whitmer said, “While the data shows that we are making progress, we are not out of the woods yet. If we’re going to lower the chance of a second wave and continue to protect our neighbors and loved ones from the spread of this virus, we must continue to do our part by staying safer at home. If we open too soon, thousands more could die and our hospitals will get overwhelmed. While we finally have more protective equipment like masks, we can’t run the risk of running low again. We owe it to the real heroes on the front lines of this crisis – our first responders, health care workers, and critical workers putting their lives on the line every day – to do what we can ourselves to stop the spread of the virus.”
This order also extends the temporary closure of certain places like theaters, gyms, and casinos, continues to protect workers who decide to stay home from work if they have come in close contact with someone who is sick, continues to restore water service to resident who have had their water shutoff, and allows several other executive orders that are already in place to continue.
“All of us know the importance of getting people back to work and the economy moving again. We’ve already loosened some restrictions on construction, manufacturing, landscaping, retail, and more. But the worst thing we can do is open up in a way that causes a second wave of infections and death, puts health care workers at further risk, and wipes out all the progress we’ve made,” Whitmer said.
On Friday, May 22, restaurants and bars opened at 50% capacity in the Upper Peninsula and greater Traverse City area as well as retail and office work that cannot be done from home.
Just days before the weekend, the governor announced that small gatherings of 10 people or less can begin immediately, as long as participants practice social distancing, retail businesses and auto dealerships can reopen by appointment only starting on Tuesday, May 26, and nonessential medical, dental and veterinary procedures can resume Friday, May 29.
The stay at home order was extended without a press briefing around 5 p.m. on Friday before the Memorial Day weekend.
