Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
LANSING — Michigan residents will have to continue staying in after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended her stay-at-home order through the end of April Thursday as part of the state’s effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Whitmer’s extension to the order also includes new restrictions designed to limit the contact people in an effort to halt the virus’s spread.
“Michigan has the third highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, and we’re still on the upswing. We must continue to do everything we can to slow the spread and protect our families,” Whitmer said when announcing the extension. “Data shows that most Michiganders are doing their part by staying home and staying safe. That’s good, but we must keep it up. When we do, we can save lives and shorten the amount of time we’re working through this crisis, which will be good for our families and good for our economy in the long run. We can also protect critical infrastructure workers like doctors, nurses, grocery store employees and child care workers. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that people stay home and stay safe.”
The order, which originally took effect March 24, would have expired next week without Thursday’s extension.
The order prohibits many employers from requiring workers to leave their homes unless necessary to protect life or conduct minimum basic operations. It also bars all gatherings outside a single household, except to care for a family member.
Residents may continue to go out to purchase groceries and other needed supplies, but the new order encourages them to limit how many people take part in the necessary errands as much as possible. Outdoor recreational activities are still allowed, as long as people can remain six feet away from those who aren’t part of their household and comply with other restrictions in Whitmer’s previous orders. Places of worship are also exempt.
The order clarifies that travel for vacation, or any other purpose, is prohibited.
Along with these restrictions, the new order also imposes new requirements on stores in order to reduce crowds. Larger stores have to limit the number of people in the store at one time to no more than four customers for every 1,000 square feet of customer floor space, according to Whitmer’s announcement, while small stores must limit capacity to 25% of the maximum occupancy.
Stores must also regulate entry by marking lines that allow patrons to stand at least six feet apart while waiting and larger stores have to close certain departments — such as those dedicated to carpeting, flooring, furniture, gardening and paint.
Although the order is only extended through the end of April, the governor hinted that it could go longer.
“This doesn’t mean everything will go back to normal on May 1,” Whitmer said. “But based on the data we have right now, this is the appropriate window for an extension. It will take time to safely and responsibly re-open the economy, which is why we will continue to provide critical unemployment support and assistance to our small businesses during this challenging time. We will get through this if we all continue to do our part.”
Whitmer’s decision to extend the order drew criticism from state Republicans, including state Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hanckock.
Markkanen expressed concern about rising unemployment in the state and argued the restrictions should be loosened to allow those able to do their jobs safely to return to work.
“Too many people who could do their jobs safely have been forced to stop working because the governor has deemed them non-essential,” Markkanen said in a statement. “It’s time for the governor to shift her focus to safety and start working with the Legislature to make common-sense changes that allow people with low-risk jobs to return to work. The governor might think certain jobs are non-essential – but allowing people to earn a paycheck when they can do so safely is pretty essential in my book.”
There have been approximately 21,504 cases of coronavirus and 1,076 deaths in Michigan as of Thursday, according to information on the state’s website. This includes three cases and one death in Gogebic County.
Editor’s Note: The Associated Press contributed to this story.
