One of the most scrutinized politicians in the United States is pushing back the reopening of businesses in her state amid concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus.
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delayed the reopening of her state from May 29 to June 12. Her executive order will affect public venues such as gyms, casinos, and movie theaters.
“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,” Whitmer told the Detroit Free Press.
Though manufacturing and construction have resumed throughout the state, Whitmer’s stay-at-home order continues to damage the economic interests of many small businesses that have been instructed to stay closed.
Whitmer said that although numbers were dropping in the state, Michigan was still “not out of the woods yet.”
Schools, summer camps, barbershops, and hair salons have all been instructed to remain closed, and social distancing guidelines will continue to be enforced.
More than 5,000 Michiganders, many of whom resided in the Detroit metro area, have died of the coronavirus in a state that has become a flashpoint for anti-lockdown demonstrators who have shown out en masse to protest Whitmer’s order.
