Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order mandating residents to wear masks in indoor public spaces and requiring businesses to deny service to those who don’t comply.
“The heroes on the front lines of this crisis have gone hours without taking their masks off every day — doctors, nurses, child care workers, grocery store workers. We owe it to them to wear our masks when we’re on a trip to the grocery store or pharmacy,” Whitmer said in a statement.
The new order also allows for up to a $500 fine for those who don’t abide by the mandate. Those who suffer medical conditions rendering them unable to wear masks are exempt, as are children under the age of 5.
Whitmer claimed that wearing masks can reduce the chance to spread COVID-19 by up to 70%, a sentiment that is shared by Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive.
“Wearing a mask or face covering can significantly decrease the chance of spreading COVID-19 and save lives,” Khaldun said, according to WMTV. “It’s important that all Michiganders wear masks properly — not down around the neck, not only over the mouth, but correctly over the mouth and nose. Please, everyone stay patient and remain vigilant.”
Cases of the coronavirus are spiking in places across the country. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, hinted on Thursday that states with major coronavirus outbreaks might need to consider shutting back down. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday that a new stay-at-home order might be issued if the number of infections continues to increase.
Whitmer, a Democrat, was criticized by opponents early on in the pandemic when she instituted an expanded executive order that barred people from visiting other residences and banned the sale of certain nonessential goods.
Michigan has had more than 75,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and at least 6,275 deaths, according to the most recent tally by the New York Times.
