Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer eased some restrictions while mandating others in her latest coronavirus executive order.
On Friday, Whitmer extended the state’s emergency declaration, which was set to expire on May 1, to May 15. In a new executive order that took effect immediately, Whitmer ended the ban on some outdoor activities, including gardening, golfing, and boating. She also allowed some businesses to reopen, including landscaping companies and bike repair shops.
Whitmer lifted her ban on the sale of nonessential goods. Large stores such as Target will be allowed to reopen garden centers and other areas of the store that were ordered to close, while individual businesses selling nonessential goods can reopen for curbside orders.
She also made it legal for residents to travel between their properties again, but strongly advised people not to do so.
While Whitmer did ease some social distancing guidelines, she made it a statewide mandate that all residents wear masks inside stores and other indoor facilities open to the public. She also required that all businesses provide masks to employees.
“We will consider this the preliminary stage of economic reengagement,” Whitmer said, adding, “We will make informed decisions in the coming days about potential further economic reengagement. But it depends on you.”
Whitmer’s aggressive executive orders have sparked protests throughout the state over the past several weeks. As of Friday, Michigan had more than 35,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and nearly 3,000 deaths.
