Tuesday is the big day in Michigan. It’s the day all COVID-19 restrictions come to an end.
The first COVID-related restrictions – issued by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on March 13, 2020 – put a halt on large public gatherings and closed schools. The state has been under some form of COVID restriction ever since.
The end of pandemic orders means a lot of things:
- All public facilities – including restaurants, bars, and gyms – can now operate at full capacity.
- Nobody is required to wear masks in public regardless of vaccination status. The state is still recommending masks, especially in nursing homes and other congregate facilities.
- Jails and juvenile homes are no longer required to test employees and residents for COVID-19 routinely.
The move to end restrictions comes after several weeks of declining infection numbers. As of Monday, the state is counting an average of just 146 new cases of COVID-19 per day. That’s down from April when new cases surpassed 7,000 per day.
Some experts have predicted that the state could see a surge of new infections again – perhaps in the fall. It’s unlikely state leaders would reimpose restrictions thanks to Michigan’s relatively high rate of vaccination.
You can read more on Bridge Michigan.
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