On March 23, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a stay-at-home order for the State of Michigan. This order will go into effect on March 24 at 12:01 AM. States such as California, Ohio, and Illinois have also issued stay-at-home orders for residents.
“In just 13 days, we’ve gone from 0 to over 1,000 COVID-19 cases,” said Governor Whitmer. “This is an unprecedented crisis that requires all of us working together to protect our families and our communities. The most effective way we can slow down the virus is to stay home. I know this will be hard, but it will be temporary. If we all come together, get serious, and do our part by staying home, we can stay safe and save lives.”
“Taking aggressive action to protect our communities is the most important thing we can do to mitigate further spread of COVID-19,” said Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Deputy for Health and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun. “If we do this now, we can make sure our hospitals and healthcare workers are prepared to take care of the sickest people. It is crucial that people do the right thing by staying home and staying safe.”
Executive Order 2020-21 prohibits all businesses and operations from requiring workers to leave their homes unless those workers are necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations. Businesses and operations are to designate the workers that meet those criteria and must adopt social distancing practices and other mitigation measures to protect workers and patrons in the performance of that necessary in-person work.
Workers that are necessary to sustain or protect life include those in health care and public health, law enforcement and public safety, grocery store workers, and more.
Whitmer also announced that all Michigan schools will remain closed until April 13. The full list of critical services that will remain open is available at Michigan.gov/coronavirus.
Here’s a timeline of Executive Orders Whitmer has passed since the first cases of COVID-19 on March 11:
March 12: Whitmer orders all K-12 school buildings to close until April 5.
March 12: Whitmer enforces temporary restrictions on entry into health care facilities, residential care facilities, congregate care facilities, and juvenile justice facilities.
March 13: Whitmer ordered events and shared-space assemblages over 250 people are canceled or postponed until April 5.
March 15: Whitmer signs order to temporarily impose enhanced restrictions on the excessive pricing of goods, materials, emergency supplies, and consumer food items.
March 16: Whitmer ordered events and shared-space assemblages over 50 people are canceled or postponed until April 5.
March 16: Whitmer expands unemployment benefits for Michigan workers.
March 16: Whitmer ordered all theaters, bars, and casinos to close and limits restaurants to carry-out and delivery orders.
March 19: Whitmer announces that small businesses have access to low-interest loans from the SBA (Small Business Administration).
March 20: Whitmer imposes temporary restrictions on non-essential medical and dental procedures.
March 20: Whitmer signs order to suspend evictions.
March 21: Whitmer temporarily closes all hair, nail, tanning salons, and other non-essential personal care services.
Here are preventative measures you can use to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, specifically after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Stay home if you’re sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Also, continue to monitor local and national news outlets for information regarding COVID-19. The World Health Organization and Centers For Disease Control and Prevention have the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19.
CLICK HERE for CDC information.
CLICK HERE for WHO information.
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