Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced the city’s plan of action for Detroit businesses to reopen as the coronavirus curve continues to flatten in Michigan.
“There was a time where we had 40 and 50 deaths per day,” Duggan said. “The numbers continue to drop. Everything that you are doing to support social distancing is working in a dramatic way.”
There are going to be a lot of businesses in this town that can open on Tuesday, Duggan said.
Currently, the reopening won’t include restaurants, bars, salons, theaters, or other entertainment venues. But the mayor said he’s optimistic that with strong compliance to mandated safety standards, Detroit’s COVID-19 infection rate will continue to decline, and more lockdown easing will follow.
Through a city coalition with Quicken Loans and DTE Energy, they are now offering aid to small businesses in the city to stay on their feet and a playbook of how to reinstate workers.
Business owners who plan to reopen as early as Tuesday will be able to pick up free personal protection equipment (PPE) in Eastern Market after registering for pick-up online.
Each kit will include 100 surgical face masks, 200 gloves, and a gallon of hand sanitizer.
Once the registered businesses have been validated as having 2- 50 employees and based in Detroit, they will receive an email with pick-up instructions.
Memorial Day pickup at Eastern Market will be available from 9 a.m. to noon Monday.
Other reopening protocols outlined by Duggan include:
- Signage notifying customers that they must cover their faces
- Limits of 10 customers at a time, or no more than 25% of a store’s maximum legal occupancy
- Social distancing on store premises
- Physical barriers at checkouts, such as Plexiglass or other dividers
- Customers can be admitted only by appointment — through appointments may be made onsite
“Our goal is to help Detroit businesses open safely, after the long closure due to the pandemic,” said Nancy Moody, vice president of Public Affairs for DTE Energy. “We want everyone to return to work as safe as possible.”
Also, on hand at Friday’s media briefing were rapper Gmac Cash and R&B singer Charity, who will be part of the lineup of 20-plus artists participating in “Everybody vs. COVID-19,” an online awareness festival running May 29-30.
The two-day online event is designed to help fight the virus and raise awareness about the 2020 census.
Less than 50% of Detroit residents have responded to their 2020 U.S. Census survey, city officials said. The city will also be hosting a drive-thru at 11 a.m. May 30 where residents can pick up census materials at Martin Luther King High School.
“This is not only a thank-you to Detroiters but a celebration of who we are,” said City of Detroit Chief Storyteller Eric Thomas, who spearheaded the event with 24-Hour Economy Ambassador Adrian Tonon.