Updated Monday, March 16 at 8:00 p.m.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Monday an executive order prohibiting "all events over 50 people or assemblages in shared indoor spaces over 50 people." The order goes into effect Tuesday, March 17 at 9 a.m., and will remain in place until 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 5.
The order follows new CDC guidance and rescinds the previous executive order that limited events and assemblages to 250 people.
“My number one priority remains to protect the most people we can from the spread of coronavirus,” said Governor Whitmer. “We are all better off when all of us are healthy, and that’s especially true for the most vulnerable. These aggressive actions are aimed at saving lives. My administration will continue to do everything we can to mitigate the spread of the disease and ensure our children, families, and businesses have the support they need during these challenging times. We are going to pull through this together, just as Michigan has done in the past.”
Exempt from the order are assemblages of "health care facilities, workplaces not open to the public, the state legislature, mass transit, the purchase of groceries or consumer goods, and the performance of agricultural or construction work."
There are currently 54 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state. Schools remain closed until Sunday, April 5. Whitmer also announced Monday that bars and theaters were to temporarily close and that restaurants would be limited to carry out and delivery until March 30.
Original post: Friday, March 13 at 12:26 p.m.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued Friday an executive order canceling events of more than 250 people beginning Friday, March 13 at 5 p.m., and ending Sunday, April 5 at 5 p.m. The order comes after 10 new presumed positive cases in the state were announced Thursday evening.
Under the order, gatherings and shared-space assemblages over 250 people are temporarily prohibited in the state. However, "industrial or manufacturing work, mass transit, or the purchase of groceries or consumer goods" will be allowed to continue.
“This is about protecting the most people we can from the spread of coronavirus,” Whitmer said in a statement. “My administration will continue to do everything we can to mitigate the spread, and to ensure our children, families, and businesses have the support they need during this time. We are going to get through this, but we must be flexible and take care of each other.”
The news follows another order from the state to close all K-12 buildings to students beginning Monday, March 16, until Sunday, April 5. However, childcare facilities will remain open whether they are attached to schools or free-standing.
Currently, there are 12 presumed positive COVID-19 cases across Ingham, Kent, Montcalm, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties.
To follow information as its released from the state, head to their coronavirus website.
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