GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order that reopen retail businesses and auto dealerships by appointment statewide as part of her MI Safe Start plan.
The executive order went into effect Tuesday, May 26, however there will be restrictions business owners will need to follow.
Only ten people can be in the store at one time and if the store is at max capacity, customers will be asked to wait outside.
Additional accommodations will be made for vulnerable populations, including curbside pickup and restricted hours.
Stores will be required to implement physical barriers, like Plexiglass, separating employees and customers. And customers will likely see signs reminding everyone of the legal obligation to wear a face covering when inside of a enclosed, public space.
Retail businesses and restaurants in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula were reopened on Friday.
Despite easing the restrictions on businesses, on Friday, Whitmer extended the stay at home order enacted to slow the spread of COVID-19. It will remain in place until June 12.
The renewed stay at home order means places of public accommodation will remain closed, like movie theaters, gyms and casinos.
“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," Whitmer said.
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