Gov. Whitmer, State Health Officials Issue New COVID-19 Orders to Help Slow the Spread
On Sunday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spoke to Michiganders, and issued new orders to help slow the spread of COVID-19 within the state of Michigan.
The new orders take effect on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. and will remain in effect until December 8, 2020.
In the briefing, Gov. Whitmer said that models project that if Michigan does not get the COVID-19 spread under control, 1,000 Michiganders could die every day from COVID-19.
Dr. Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy Director for Health and Human Services said Sunday evening, "The entire state is seeing an alarming increase in cases of COVID-19."
The order issued Sunday means the following for Michiganders:
- All Michigan residents are required to work from home unless they must do their work in person.
- Restaurants and bars: indoor dine-in services will no longer be allowed for bars or restaurants. Outdoor dining service will still be allowed.
- Casinos, movie theaters, stadiums and arenas will remain closed.
- Bowling alleys, bingo halls, arcades and water parks must also close.
- Education: all colleges and high schools must move to remote learning.
- Organized sports will be shut down. (This does not include professional sports and a select number of NCAA sports.)
The state also suggests that moving forward, Michiganders set up safe social "pods". Within those pods, the state suggests:
- Agree up front exactly who is in the pod. Keep your pod to under 10 people, and no more than one other household.*
- Discuss how vulnerable to COVID members of the pod are (underlying medical conditions, over age 65). Agree on how all members of the pod will limit risk (e.g., not seeing people outside the pod other than masked outdoors, not working or attending school in person). The whole pod takes on the risk of each member’s exposure.
- Pledge to be truthful with one another about activities.
- Stay outdoors as much as possible, even within the pod. Communicate immediately if anyone has symptoms or exposure to COVID-19. The entire pod needs to stop getting together immediately, and the person with COVID-19 symptoms should get tested immediately.
These orders were issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
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