Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has lifted her statewide stay-at-home order and announced that people will soon be able to dine in restaurants.
Whitmer made the announcement on Monday as new daily coronavirus infections there have continued to fall. She said that, as of June 8, residents will be able to go to eat out at restaurants that are operating at 50% capacity. Additionally, outdoor gatherings of less than 100 are now permitted effective immediately. The new order does not include the reopening of gyms, casinos, salons, or movie theaters.
“The data has shown that we are ready to carefully move our state into the next phase of the MI Safe Start Plan, but we owe it to our brave frontline heroes to get this right,” the governor said in a statement. “While Michiganders are no longer required to stay home, we must all continue to be smart and practice social distancing, and encourage those who meet the criteria to get tested for COVID-19.”
“Stay smart, stay safe, and let’s all do our part,” she said.
Whitmer, who has faced death threats for her handling of the pandemic, is slowly moving to regain normalcy in her state, which was rocked by anti-lockdown protests during the health crisis. Late last month, she announced that retail businesses would be allowed to reopen by appointment only in addition to allowing nonessential medical procedures and veterinarian appointments.
The governor drew the ire of some in her state when she issued an expanded executive order that banned people from visiting other residences and prohibited the sale of some “nonessential” items. She also faced a lawsuit over her state of emergency extension, but a court ruled in her favor.
