Michigan’s partial shutdown extended through Dec. 20

The partial shutdown that barred indoor dining and in-person instruction for high schools and colleges will continue for another 12 days, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced at a press conference Monday.

The order, put in place by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon, was slated to expire Dec. 8. Now, it’s in effect through Dec. 20.

His new order continues to limit gatherings to between two households and close entertainment venues like casinos and movie theaters. Employees who can work from home must do so.

Whitmer said the state needs to see more numbers, including those that arose from people gathering for Thanksgiving.

“We have not yet seen the full impact of activities around Thanksgiving in our cases and hospitalizations,” Whitmer said.

When the state begins to loosen the restrictions, “We won’t lift all of our protocols at once. We will do it in a measured way so we don’t undo the progress that we’ve made,” Whitmer said.

She urged people to double down on safety measures and help get the state’s COVID-19 numbers under control.

Gordon said the state is looking to see additional progress during the extended restrictions, including hospitalizations flattening, cases falling and the percentage of people testing positive to go down.

“There’s no formula,” he said, because things like the age of those getting sick can factor in. But they’re data the MDHHS is looking at for signs of progress.

Michigan Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said that while numbers are trending down in recent days, the case rate is still “alarmingly high.” The state is seeing over 100 deaths per day on some days, she said, more than seven times the rate we were seeing in early October.

The three-week pause, which was originally slated to end Dec. 8., banned things like indoor dining and in-person instruction at high schools and colleges. It put an end to high school sports, shuttered entertainment venues like casinos and bowling alleys and required employees to work from home if possible.

More on MLive:

Michigan governor expected to announce short-term extension to partial shutdown

As Michigan’s three-week COVID-19 ‘pause’ nears its end, will Whitmer extend it?

Michigan restaurant owners weigh pros and cons of reopening in defiance of state order

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