While Michigan restaurants and bars have gained capacity with the state health department’s updated guidance released this afternoon, the industry’s advocacy team is concerned about how long the new limitation will run.
Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) President & CEO Justin Winslow voiced both the gratitude and concerns in delivering his statement following the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services update from Governor Whitmer.
Here is Winslow’s statement:
“We welcome the governor’s decision today to expand restaurant, banquet and meeting space occupancy and consider this change critically important, but the six-week duration of this Order is concerning and significantly too long to adapt to rapidly changing metrics around this virus.
We are hopeful that this DHHS Order represents a paradigm shift in the administration’s overall approach to the hospitality industry, accepting that the dramatically reduced hospitalization rate and increased vaccine distribution mean our most vulnerable populations are protected and that reopening should advance in a timely manner. While we are disappointed about the length of the Order given the fragile state of the hospitality industry and improving outcomes, we are committed to working toward collaborative and consistent – emphasis on consistent – progress towards the full reintegration of the industry as Michigan moves more fully into a new phase of this pandemic.”
