On June 1st, all outdoor capacity limits in the state of Michigan will be lifted completely, and one month later, the state will lift all of the broad mask and gathering orders that remain in place according to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer who ditched her own mask while standing at Dow Diamond in Midland for her latest press conference, where she is collapsing, or reconfiguring her MI Vacc to Normal Plan.
Formal notification of what the latest easing of restrictions entails won’t be forthcoming from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services until next Monday according to Whitmer who also cautioned that several mitigation measures could stay in place for vulnerable populations, and says that businesses will retain their own authority to keep in place whatever capacity limits or mask restrictions that they see fit.
Whitmer announced that outdoor capacity limits are slated to lift completely and indoor capacity limits will increase to 50-percent on June 1st under changing public health restrictions and a month later, on July 1st, the MDHHS will remove the broader mask and gathering orders completely. Her administration had already lifted masking rules for those who have been fully vaccinated back on Saturday with plans now to retire the indoor mask mandate on July 1st.
The governor’s comments are part of her updated ‘Vacc to Normal’ plan, which outlines steps Michigan residents can take to emerge from the pandemic. She says as of June 1st, capacity limits will lift for outdoor events. Additionally, indoor capacity limits will increase to 50-percent, allowing indoor social gatherings such as weddings and funerals to move closer to normalcy. As of July 1st, the state will no longer limit capacity at indoor or outdoor gatherings.
Whitmer says, “As Michiganders have stepped up to get vaccinated and the CDC has released new guidance on masks, we are adapting the MI Vacc to Normal challenge to keep up,” and adds, “Starting June 1st, we will be moving forward, faster than excepted, towards a return to normalcy. Soon, Michiganders will be able to celebrate together, have summer weddings and even enjoy a 4th of July barbeque with family and friends. This is what we have all been working so hard towards, and I am so grateful to every Michigander who continues to go above and beyond to keep themselves, their family, and our communities safe. Thanks to them, we can take these final steps towards a return to the normalcy and build our economy back stronger than ever.”
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist says, “This pandemic has been so difficult for so many Michiganders. We’ve made incredible sacrifices for the good of public health and the safety of our friends, family, and communities,” and adds, “This vaccine is helping our small businesses reopen their doors. It’s allowing our economy to come back stronger than ever and allows for a sense of normalcy to return for families across our state. I hope that this news is an added incentive for those on the fence about getting a vaccine. I will remain focused on encouraging every Michigander to make a vaccine appointment if they haven’t already. This is how we move forward, together.”
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy for Health says, “The COVID-19 vaccine is the most important tool we have to reduce the spread of the virus. The vaccines are safe and effective and vaccinated people can do so many more things safely,” while adding, “We have made great progress with our vaccination efforts, but the pandemic is not over. We are working to make sure vaccines are accessible to everyone at their doctor’s office, in their neighborhoods, or even in their homes. By getting vaccinated as soon as possible Michiganders can protect themselves, their families and their communities and help end this pandemic as quickly as possible.”
To reflect the changes, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), will release an updated epidemic order on Monday. Throughout the month of June, people who are not yet fully vaccinated will still be required to mask up while indoors.
Small Business Association of Michigan President Brian Calley issued the following statement in response to Governor Whitmer announcing changes in Michigan’s Vacc To Normal Plan:
“Today marks an important step for small business owners everywhere. The revised Emergency Epidemic Order accomplishes several important goals. First, and more importantly, it gives a date certain when epidemic emergency orders will end. Second, it makes near term changes that will allow banquet halls, convention centers and other indoor gathering facilities to start to ramp up operations in June. And finally, it will allow for many of the festivals, fairs and other community events that make our state so special to commence this summer.
“We look forward to changes to MIOSHA workplace safety rules that will hopefully streamline the temporary rules, bringing them into compliance with CDC guidelines and abandon the proposal for permanent rules.”
Also responding to the governor’s announcement today that COVID-19 restrictions would continue to be eased was Dr. Pino D. Colone, MD, President of the Michigan State Medical Society, who says, “The Governor and state health officials have laid out a path for lifting COVID-19 restrictions in Michigan, and that is a tribute to the sacrifice of people and the willingness of so many to get vaccinated. But let this be clear: we still need to do more when it comes to vaccinations. While our numbers have slowed, we need to continue our progress in order to protect people and further our move back to normal.”
The governor announced today that to date, 56.8-percent of Michigan’s adult population 16 and older have received at least their first dose of the vaccine, and at least 43.7-percent have been fully vaccinated. Her original Vacc to Normal plan tied most of her eased restrictions to the state’s vaccination rates.
