Michigan will fully lift outdoor capacity limits on June 1 and, starting July 1, end indoor gathering caps that were put in place to curb COVID-19, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday in a major loosening of economic restrictions.
The state has limited occupancy in restaurants and other venues since March 2020, when the coronavirus first hit. The announcement — which includes raising indoor capacity limits to 50% and ending bar and restaurant curfews on June 1 — came nearly a week after the governor’s administration eased a mask order due to updated federal guidance.
“Life is getting back to normal,” Whitmer said during a news conference at a minor league baseball park in Midland.
The governor has effectively scrapped a plan to tie further reopening to specific statewide vaccination rates.
Whitmer says businesses can still set their own mask rules for employees and customers. And she says the state could still re-impose some restrictions if cases spike again.
She also says she doesn’t want people to shame anyone for their decisions about whether to wear a mask.
“Some Michiganders will feel safer with a mask, even if they’ve been vaccinated, and that’s okay. Other Michiganders who may have been vaccinated are ready to go mask-free, and that’s OK too.”
