More businesses in the Wolverine State will be allowed to start reopening next week.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Monday afternoon that the state's stay-at-home order will be lifted on Monday, June 8. With that, bars and restaurants throughout Michigan can reopen at 50 per cent capacity that day.
Physical distancing guidelines still apply and Whitmer urged people to continue washing hands frequently and wear masks. Gyms, casinos, hair salons, barbershops, movie theatres and other businesses will remain closed.
Whitmer had allowed restaurants and bars in northern Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula to reopen for the Memorial Day weekend, to help jumpstart Michigan's tourism industry.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the other changes announced by the governor include allowing retailers to open without an appointment starting Monday. Also, groups of up to one hundred people can gather, up from 10 people.
Day camps can resume next Monday, and pools can reopen. While gyms must stay closed, they will be able to offer outdoor programs with physical distancing.
The state has moved into the fourth phase of its reopening plan, which is in place while COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are in steady decline. As of Monday, Michigan had 57,532 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The increase of 135 new cases from Sunday is the smallest since March 18, according to WXYZ-TV.
