he restrictions will take effect on Wednesday, Nov. 18, and last through the Thanksgiving holiday and until Dec. 8, according to a document summarizing the changes obtained by MLive.
“We are in the worst moment of this pandemic to date,” Whitmer said at the press conference. “The situation has never been more dire. We are at the precipice and we need to take some action. As the weather gets colder and people spend more time indoors, this virus will spread. More people will get sick and there will be more fatalities.”
Elementary and middle schools can still conduct in-person learning if the local district allows it. Gordon noted this was the case due to lower rates of infection spread in K-8 districts compared to high schools and colleges.
“Not all school settings are the same,” he said. “There are fewer outbreaks associated with the children most in need of in-person school instruction.”
The following entertainment options are prohibited under the new restrictions:
- Theaters
- Stadiums
- Arcades
- Bowling centers, ice rinks and indoor water parks
- Fitness classes in a group (individual gym and pool time allowed)
Indoor gatherings remain limited to 10 people, but no more than two households can meet in the same place. Outdoor gathering limits have shrunk to 25 people, which includes funerals.
Things such as retail businesses, salons, barber shops, public transit, child-care centers, parks and health-care facilities are still open. It is not clear if college sports will be restricted, but professional sports are still allowed.
A graphic from the state helps to pinpoint what the new Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order allows and restricts. The new order, announced on Nov. 15, goes into effect Wednesday, Nov. 18, and continues until Dec. 8.
Sunday’s action is the latest MDHHS
public health order that acts similarly to Whitmer’s executive orders that the Michigan Supreme Court struck down on partisan lines in early October. She previously
issued a stay-at-home order on March 23, which lasted until
June.
Read more: Read the full order that DHHS is using to replace 40+ Whitmer rules
Gordon, the MDHHS director, derives his authority to issue the order from the
public health code, which states: “If the director determines that control of an epidemic is necessary to protect the public health, the director by emergency order may prohibit the gathering of people for any purpose and may establish procedures to be followed during the epidemic to insure continuation of essential public health services and enforcement of health laws. Emergency procedures shall not be limited to this code.”
That law’s constitutionality was not part of the case in the Michigan Supreme Court. The Public Health Code was ratified by the state legislature in 1978.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, criticized Whitmer for tackling the pandemic by herself.
“The Senate Republicans will continue working with our doctors and the medical community on ways we can combat this virus and are ready to work with the Governor when she decides to work as a team to fight this virus,” he said in a statement.
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