Michiganders will once again be able to dine in restaurants from February 1, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced at a news conference on Friday.
“The break worked,” said Whitmer. “The efforts we have made together to protect our families, frontline employees and hospitals have dramatically reduced cases and saved lives. Now, we are confident that as of February 1, restaurants will be able to resume dining indoors with safety measures in place.
Prior to the three-week epidemic order from the Department of Health and Human Services limiting social gatherings, launched on November 15, Michigan had 734 cases of Coivd-19 per million residents, said Whitmer. The state has already seen a 70% reduction to 177 cases per million, according to the governor.
“I know that this pandemic has affected our restaurant owners, our employees and all their families. I want to thank those who made incredible sacrifices and did their part in the name of protecting our communities from Covid, ”said Whitmer.
The Chief Medical Officer of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, further clarified that the restaurants will operate at 25% capacity and must respect the 10 pm curfew.
“I am pleased that we can move forward this way. We know that our restaurant owners want to protect their customers and help end this pandemic, ”said Khaldun, but said he wanted to remind people that scientists and doctors reiterated that being indoors, without a mask, is one of the most risky activities for people can do when it comes to the spread of Covid-19.
“So now people have a choice. The safest thing to do, especially if you are elderly, if you have underlying medical conditions, or if you live with someone who is elderly or have underlying medical conditions, ”said Khaldun. “The safest thing to do is not to be inside a restaurant, but we still want you to order from them, you can help them with food delivery for the trip or dinner outdoors.”