Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announces new coronavirus restrictions
Gov. Whitmer: “We’re in the worst moment of the pandemic to date. We’re at the precipice and we need to take some action.”
TOLEDO, Ohio — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued an “epidemic order”, that will stay in place for three weeks, starting Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: “If we don’t act now, thousands more will die, and our hospitals will continue to be overwhelmed. We can get through this together by listening to health experts once again and taking action right now to slow the spread of this deadly virus.”
Here’s a list of what will not be and ONLY what will not be open as this order is in place:
- High schools (in-person learning)
- Colleges and universities (in-person learning)
- Workplaces, when work can be done from home
- Restaurants and bars (indoor dining)
- Organized sports, except professional sports
- Theaters, movie theaters, stadiums, arenas
- Bowling alleys, ice skating rinks, indoor water parks
- Bingo halls, casinos, arcades
- Group fitness classes
Despite the majority of businesses and institutions either being ordered to close or go virtual, there are still plenty of in-person activities available to the general public. Here’s guidance directly from the Mich. Dept. of Health & Human Svcs. about social gatherings. The guidance states that you should pick a group of people to socialize with and stick with that group to avoid a potential super-spreader event, which makes contact tracing difficult.
As far as Ohio is concerned, Gov. Mike DeWine will make an announcement about gyms and other businesses on Thursday, as COVID-19 cases surge.
