Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) announced Sunday new restrictions designed to combat spiking COVID-19 cases — including suspending organized sports, halting in-person classes and closing restaurants and bars to indoor dining.
Why it matters: Whitmer said Michigan was in "the worst moment of this pandemic to date," after the state confirmed a record 44,019 people new cases and 416 more deaths in the past week.
Tonight, @MichiganHHS issued an emergency order that enacts a three-week pause, targeting indoor social gatherings and other group activities to curb our state’s rising #COVID19 infection rates. pic.twitter.com/yEc0enVPBX
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) November 16, 2020
The big picture: The restrictions that begin Wednesday are not as severe as the state's spring coronavirus lockdown, but they are sweeping.
- Under the emergency order, in-person K-8 schooling may continue "if it can be done with strong mitigation, including mask requirements, based on discussion between local health and school officials," per a state government statement.
- Indoor residential gatherings must be limited to two households at any one time, while outdoor gatherings will have 25-person maximum limit.
Of note: The restrictions will last through the Thanksgiving holiday and up to Dec. 8.
- "If you are considering spending Thanksgiving with people outside of your household, I urge you to reconsider," Whitmer said.
- "As hard as it is not seeing [family] this Thanksgiving, imagine how much harder it would be if you weren’t able to see them for a future holiday ever again."
By the numbers: Some 8,000 people have died from COVID-19 and the state has confirmed over 251,000 people have tested positive for the virus.
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