Friday evening, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the stay-at-home order will remain in place until June 12. This order keeps movie theaters, gyms, casinos and other public spaces closed. In addition, Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-99, which extends Michigan’s state of emergency.
According to the executive order, some counties in western Michigan are doubling their COVID-19 cases every 10 days. As a result, Whitmer is extending the state of emergency through June 19.
“While the data shows that we are making progress, we are not out of the woods yet,” Whitmer said. “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 safe at home.”
In addition, Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-100, which extends other previous executive orders. She said during the press conference that opening up too soon would jeopardize the safety of frontline workers.
“If we open too soon, thousands more could die and our hospitals will get overwhelmed,” Whitmer said. “While we finally have more protective equipment like masks, we can’t run the risk of running low again. We owe it to the real heroes on the front lines of this crisis — our first responders, health care workers, and critical workers putting their lives on the line every day — to do what we can ourselves to stop the spread of the virus.”
Beginning May 26, retail business and auto dealerships will be able to reopen, given that customers shop by appointment. Starting May 29, doctors and dentists will be able to treat non-emergency patients. Lastly, Whitmer announced groups of 10 or less may gather as long as social distancing is being practiced. These announcements were made on May 21, one day after the executive order extension.
Daily Staff Reporter Brayden Hirsch can be reached at braydenh@umich.edu.