Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced a plan to tie the lifting of coronavirus restrictions to Michigan's vaccination rate, setting four specific benchmarks that must be reached to return to normal. As more people get shots, she says, the state will allow in-person work for all business sectors, relax indoor capacity limits and ultimately lift them."On our path to vaccinating 70% of Michiganders 16 and up, we can take steps to gradually get back to normal while keeping people safe," Whitmer said during a Thursday press conference. "If you haven’t already, I encourage you to rise to the challenge and be a part of the solution so we can continue our economic recovery and have the summer we all crave."
So far, 48.8% of Michiganders have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 35.9% have been fully vaccinated.
However, the state is still in the midst of a third wave, and is reporting the highest daily average cases in the country. Those numbers are slowly starting to decline, but officials are still urging Michiganders to continue wearing masks and social distancing in order to prevent another uptick.
Under the "MI Vacc to Normal" plan, indoor capacity limits will be lifted once 65% are vaccinated. At a 70% vaccination rate, the state's gatherings and face mask order generally will be lifted unless unanticipated circumstances arise.
55% of Michiganders (4,453,304 residents), plus two weeks
- Allows in-person work for all sectors of business.
60% of Michiganders (4,858,150 residents), plus two weeks
- Increases indoor capacity at sports stadiums to 25%.
- Increases indoor capacity at conference centers/banquet halls/funeral homes to 25%.
- Increases capacity at exercise facilities and gyms to 50%.
- Lifts the curfew on restaurants and bars.
65% of Michiganders (5,262,996 residents), plus two weeks
- Lifts all indoor % capacity limits, requiring only social distancing between parties.
- Further relaxes limits on residential social gatherings.
70% of Michiganders (5,667,842 residents), plus two weeks
- Lifts the Gatherings and Face Masks Order such that MDHHS will no longer employ broad mitigation measures unless unanticipated circumstances arise, such as the spread of vaccine-resistant variants.
