LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday that the stay at home order which was enacted to slow the spread of COVID-19 will remain in place until June 12 at 11:59 p.m.; it was set to expire on May 28.
The renewed stay at home order means places of public accommodation will remain closed, like movie theaters, gyms and casinos.
“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,” said Whitmer in a statement.
This announcement comes just one day after the governor relaxed some restrictions, including allowing people to gather in groups of 10 or less and allowing retail businesses to operate with appointments. The governor also allowed non-emergency medical and dental procedures to start back up again.
► See the full order here, which extends this order.
The governor also allowed the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan to reopen restaurants and retail businesses. Friday was the first day these regions were reopened.
“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.
The governor first issued an expansive stay at home order in mid-March, but has been loosening it over the past several weeks. Industries like manufacturing, construction, landscaping and real estate have been allowed to return to work. However, extending the stay at home order means outside of those industries, only critical infrastructure workers can perform in-person operations.
The order extends protections for workers who stay home if they are sick, restores water for those who had service shut off, and continues to affirm non-discrimination policies for those who are caring for people with COVID-19.
Whitmer also signed an executive order that extends the state of emergency until June 19 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue has been mired in political controversy, with Republican legislators contending the governor does not have the power to extend the state of emergency without approval from lawmakers. However, a judge upheld the governor's extended state of emergency.
The stay at home order also requires people who are medically able to wear a face covering while in a publicly enclosed space.
As of Friday, Michigan reported 53,913 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,158 deaths related to the virus.
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