Michigan COVID-19 Restrictions Extended Through Dec. 20. Here's Everything You Need To Know
(CBS DETROIT) - The partial shutdown of businesses and schools to help slow the spread of COVID-19 has been extended by 12 days.
The extended order, — which was set to expire Dec. 8 — will now be in place through Dec. 20.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday, the additional 12 days will allow the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services department to determine the full impact of the Thanksgiving holiday on the spread of COVID-19 across Michigan.
Here's everything to know about the extension:
- MDHHS continues to urge families to avoid indoor gatherings, and only two households may gather inside, with strict protocols recommended.
- Individuals should wear masks consistently whenever they are inside with individuals not in their household, and are recommended to pick only a small group to see regularly.
- Bars and restaurants must remain closed for dine-in service, but can remain open for outdoor dining, carry-out and delivery.
- Gyms are open for individual exercise with mandatory masking and additional strict safety measures.
- Casinos, movie theaters and group exercise classes remain closed.
- Professional and college sports meeting extraordinary standards for risk mitigation may continue without spectators.
- Colleges, universities and high schools will continue with remote learning, with no in-person classes.
- Employees who work in jobs that cannot be performed from home can continue to go to work, including those in manufacturing, construction and health occupations.
- Outdoor gatherings, outdoor dining and parks remain open.
- Individualized activities with distancing and face masks are still allowed: retail shopping; public transit; restaurant takeout; personal-care services such as haircuts, by appointment; and individualized exercise at a gym, with extra spacing between machines.
What happens after the 12 day extension?
MDHHS says three key metrics will be utilized in determining whether to slowly reopen at the end of the 12 days.
Specifically, the department will be looking closely at the percentage of hospital beds with COVID patients, the number of COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate. With improvements in those numbers in context, MDHHS will carefully reopen, with in-person learning at high schools first. Next in line will be entertainment venues where people can maintain consistent masking, such as casinos, theaters and bowling, with concessions closed.
Hospital officials say Michigan's partial shutdown is working and should be extended
Michigan hospital officials said Monday morning the restrictions were effective and should be extended through the holiday season to alleviate stress on the health care system.
The chief medical officers of hospitals and health systems issued a joint statement saying the order is slowly stabilizing the spread of COVID-19.
"As a state, we must not let our guard down and reverse this progress," they said, reporting slight declines in virus-related emergency room visits, daily admissions and total hospitalizations.
The restrictions, many of which were in place earlier in the pandemic, took effect Nov. 18.
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