The state says they are seeing the improvement of COVID-19 numbers they have wanted to since they began the ‘Pause to Save Lives’ in November.
But despite that, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is not ready to open up indoor dining statewide just yet.
“The pause has worked,” said Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon.
Michigan’s numbers have improved, cases are down, hospital occupancy is down while positivity rates have plateaued.
Enough so that indoor fitness classes and non-contact sports can resume on January 16th but not enough for indoor dining just yet.
“We’re working on a path to allow indoor dining at restaurants with safety measures such as mask requirements, capacity limits and a curfew starting on February 1,” said Gov. Whitmer.
The state has always said indoor dining would be the last step in re-opening
“Indoor dining comes with risk because it involves taking off masks,” said Gordon.
It has also been the issue Michiganders have been most vocal about, many scoffing the law and opening against orders, as other restaurants and businesses fade.
“There are a lot of people out there who have spent their lives building up their businesses and they are precarious,” said Whitmer, “Some of them may not have made it already. We are here to try to make sure that we get through this time together.”
Republicans are clear on this topic, this can be done safely and it can be done now.
“It’s frustrating that here again, we have an arbitrary date that’s been set for whatever reason,” said Speaker of the House Jason Wentworth, “No one knows why February 1st magically appeared as a date now.”
COVID-19 precautions will be costly and Republican leaders want to let the decision be made by the businesses and give them a chance to survive the pandemic.
“Let the individual businesses decide that. Let the individual restaurants decide that,” said Wentworth, “This is, again, the governor going out, unilaterally, making a decision without any input from anyone. She is saying this is the date that I have decided we can now open.”
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