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Businesses React to State’s ‘MI Vacc to Normal’ Plan, Lifting Restrictions on Curfew, Capacity

Governor Whitmer announced Thursday the ‘’ plan that outlines key vaccination milestones needed to lift restrictions.

Jim Smolak, co-owner of in downtown Traverse City, says the restrictions on bars and restaurants have been difficult.

“The 50 percent occupancy is certainly limiting. It limits the amount of staff that you can put back to work. Certainly limits just the feel of this place; it’s a bar we, we like to pack people in here and that’s always been our goal and how this place is run,” says Smolak.

Now with the states ‘’ plan, Smolak hopes there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

“I think a plan is important, instead of kind of shooting from the hip on how we’re going to do this,” says Smolak.

Right now, more than six million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Michigan, according to the state’s . That’s about 50 percent of the population.

Two weeks after the state reaches 60 percent, conference centers and banquet halls can increase their capacity to 25 percent.

The says this would be a huge relief, since right now they’re limited to 25 people total:

“In the Governor’s Hall we’d be able to do close to 500 people safely and we can still socially distance everyone very well down there, so it will be a great step in the right direction,” says Katie Leonard, director of sales at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.

The says they hope the state’s plan gives people a goal to work towards:

“Our way out of the pandemic is really getting as many people as possible vaccinated so we can all get back to doing our pre pandemic sort of living,” Wendy Hirschenberger, a health officer for the Grand Traverse County Health Department.

Hirschenberger says the state’s goal is doable. They’re currently working with local agencies to break barriers and make receiving the vaccine more convenient.

“Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve also been starting to do more community clinics and focusing on some school clinics as well. We will continue to do more of those out in the community to make it as convenient as possible,” says Hirschenberger.

 

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