LANSING, Mich. (Great Lakes News) – Michigan is fully open on Tuesday, 15 months after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer first implemented shutdown orders and restrictions.
Restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues can operate at full occupancy. Justin Winslow, President and CEO of The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association, said the industry has carried an unbearable burden over the last 15 months.
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“The frustrating side of this is if we’re talking security verses freedom, we lost on both sides,” Winslow said. “We were overwhelmingly locked down which impaired this industry more than anyone.”
Winslow added, “We didn’t get any health benefits out of it,” referring to the number of lives saved or positive COVID-19 cases tied to the hospitality sector.
One in six Michigan restaurants closed for good during the Whitmer COVID-19 lockdowns.
In addition, limits on indoor gatherings like weddings and funerals are gone along with a broad requirement that unvaccinated people be masked indoors.
Michigan is one of the last states to fully reopen.
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