Governor Whitmer Lifts Michigan's Safer at Home Order After Weeks of Protests, Says Restaurants Can Reopen Soon

The Safer at Home order Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic in March has been officially lifted, the governor said Monday.

The decision was announced during a news briefing as health officials reported "encouraging" trends in decreasing coronavirus cases throughout the state. Whitmer said the state was also moving into the fourth phase of its response to the outbreak, which allows restaurants, retail shops and many other businesses to reopen but with some limitations still in place.

"We can't let our guard down, but now we are in a position to move forward," Whitmer said. The executive order lifting the restrictions will continue "provided that Michiganders can continue to do their part wearing masks, social distancing, washing our hands and keeping COVID-19 from spreading again," the Democratic governor said.

The state has been one of the hardest hit by the outbreak since its first residents tested positive for the virus in early March. By Monday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reported 57,532 coronavirus cases and 5,516 deaths statewide. Though case numbers throughout Michigan have been high, protesters there have captured the nation's attention multiple times since state restrictions began. Many demonstrated repeatedly at the state Capitol in Lansing, and members of the Legislature filed lawsuits against the governor over the restrictions.

According to Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive and chief deputy director for health at the MDHHS, the state's declining case rates were important in deciding to move forward with reopening. Though the state had been reporting a 12 percent positive rate among those tested for the virus, Khaldun said that rate was decreasing. "While there is still variability across regions of the state, overall we are seeing about 12 new cases per million people per day," she said during Whitmer's briefing.

Under the latest phase of the state's reopening plan, groups of 100 or fewer are permitted to gather so long as all individuals practice social distancing. Outdoor exercise classes and games can resume with the same social distancing requirements. Retailers can open their shops with limited capacity on June 4, and day care centers can reopen on June 8, Whitmer said. Office work that can't be completed remotely can also resume immediately, though the governor said employees should still be encouraged to work from home whenever possible.

Restaurants will be able to resume serving customers using indoor and outdoor seating at 50 percent capacity starting June 8, though Whitmer said each restaurant that chooses to reopen must place tables at least 6 feet apart to promote social distancing.

Some restaurants in northern Michigan were permitted to reopen last month in time for the Memorial Day weekend, albeit with similar restrictions in place. According to the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA), those early efforts at reopening were successful.

"Our northern Michigan restaurants set a tremendous example for the rest of the state," MRLA President and CEO Justin Winslow said in a Monday news release. "While today is an important milestone for the restaurant industry, this is just the beginning of our important work of keeping restaurants open, helping them survive so that one day soon they may thrive."

Despite the encouraging trends in declining case numbers and the new efforts to reopen the state, Whitmer said local leaders would have the ability to impose stricter restrictions if they decided doing so was necessary. While many Americans across the country have been eager for their states to reopen, some business owners in states that began lifting restrictions last month have been hesitant to reopen too quickly.

Newsweek reached out to the MRLA for comment regarding the number of restaurants expected to reopen Monday but did not hear back before publication.

Though Whitmer said the steps taken Monday were "really good news" after weeks of restrictions kept many of the state's residents confined to their homes, she said Michiganders would still need to practice social distancing, wear facial coverings, wash their hands frequently and get tested for the virus when necessary to keep outbreaks from occurring.

"We still have a strict responsibility to make sure that every one of us is doing our part to lower the chance of a devastating second wave," Whitmer said. "We don't want to repeat this in the fall."