Michigan Announces Date For Full Reopening

LANSING, MI — All indoor capacity restrictions and mask requirements will be lifted Tuesday in Michigan, 10 days ahead of when public health orders requiring those restrictions were set to expire.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office announced the chances Thursday, citing plummeting COVID-19 cases and increased vaccinations.

“Today is a day that we have all been looking forward to, as we can safely get back to normal day-to-day activities and put this pandemic behind us,” Whitmer said in a statement Thursday. “We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the medical experts and health professionals who stood on the front lines to keep us all safe. And we are incredibly thankful to all of the essential workers who kept our state moving.

"Thanks to the millions of Michiganders who rolled up their sleeves to get the safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine, we have been able to make these changes ahead of schedule. Our top priority going forward is utilizing the federal relief funding in a smart, sustainable way as we put Michigan back to work and jumpstart our economy. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ensure that Michigan’s families, small businesses, and communities emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever before.”

Related: Some MI Counties Remain Susceptible To COVID Outbreaks: See Why

Whitmer's administration said in a news release that nearly five million residents ages 16 and older have received their first vaccine dose. The state cited data from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry when reporting that half of Michigan residents have completed their vaccination and over 60 percent have gotten their first shots.

“This is great news and a day all of us have been looking forward to for more than a year,” Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel said in a statement. “We have said all along that the vaccine would help us return to a sense of normalcy and today we announce that day is here.”

Case rates, percent positivity and hospitalizations have all plummeted over the past several weeks, the state said. Michigan is experiencing 24.3 cases per million and has recorded a 1.9 percent positivity rate over the last seven days, according to state numbers.

To date, 892,830 cases of the virus have been confirmed in Michigan. The coronavirus death toll in the state stands at 19,578.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan's chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS, said in a news release that the announcement is good news, but warned that "there is more work to be done."

“We can’t let our guard down as there continue to be several variants of the COVID-19 virus circulating in our state, including the concerning Delta variant," she said. "The COVID-19 vaccine is the most important tool we have to reduce the spread of the virus and I urge everyone ages 12 and up who has not yet received their vaccine to get it as soon as possible. Talk to your health care provider, your local health department or your neighborhood pharmacist about joining the millions of Michiganders who have received their vaccine.”

Officials said some orders will remain in effect to "protect vulnerable populations in corrections, long-term care and agriculture."

Public health measures also will continue for reporting requirements and COVID testing to make sure areas where community spread is high are identified, kids are safe in school and free COVID-19 tests are available.

Additional guidance related to schools will be released next week, officials said.