Bars, Restaurants Can Reopen Friday In Northern Michigan: Whitmer

MICHIGAN — Retail businesses, restaurants and bars in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the greater Traverse City area can reopen with limited seating beginning on Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced in a news conference Monday.

The reopening brings Michigan into Phase 4 of Whitmer's MI Safe Start Plan of reopening the state. The two areas that are allowed to reopen are considered regions 6 and 8 in Whitmer's plan.

"We still have COVID-19 present in the vast majority of our counties, and we're still losing family members and loved ones to the virus," Whitmer said. "So please be smart. Let's take this step. The whole state's watching to make sure we get this right.

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"If we get this right, we will be able to take the next step, and the next, but it's dependent on all of us doing our part."

As of Monday morning, Michigan has reported 51,915 cases of the coronavirus, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state's chief medical executive announced Monday. Of those, 4,915 people have died. However, Khaldun noted, over 28,000 people have recovered from the virus as of Friday.

Despite the large number of cases, officials have said in recent weeks there is reason for cautious optimism as the number of new cases has plateaued. Monday's announcement of the reopening of some businesses in some sectors of the state adds to that optimism.

Earlier in May, Whitmer extended the statewide stay-home order to May 28, but allowed manufacturing workers to return to work. Prior to that, she allowed construction work to continue. The moves were early steps in reopening the state workforce.

Whitmer said businesses reopening in the northern Michigan regions are required to adhere to worker safety requirements mentioned in her MI Safe Start Plan. To ensure this, Whitmer signed an additional executive order requiring businesses to follow strict guidelines pertaining to the virus.

Under Executive Order 2020-91, businesses that resume in-person work must, among other things, develop a coronavirus preparedness and response plan and make it available to employees and customers by June 1.

Businesses must also provide coronavirus training to workers that covers, at a minimum, workplace infection-control practices, the proper use of PPE, steps workers must take to notify the business or operation of any symptoms of the coronavirus or a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of the virus, and how to report unsafe working conditions.

The decision to open also involves the respective region's local governments, Whitmer said, meaning if municipalities opt not to allow businesses to reopen they do not need to.

"We've confident that in some regions of the state, they've just not been hit as hard with COVID-19," Whitmer said. "The data has shown in these regions of our state that we can phase more sectors into reengagement of our economy. When it comes to new cases per million percent of positive tests and deaths, these regions are far below the statewide average."