Michigan's Mask, Gathering Rules Will Be Lifted On July 1

MIDLAND, MI — For Michiganders hindered by restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, there may be a light at the end of what has been a long tunnel.

Outdoor capacity limits will be lifted in Michigan beginning June 1 and one month after that all broad mask and gathering orders will be lifted, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at a news conference in Midland on Thursday.

"For the most part, life will be back to normal," Whitmer said Thursday. "We can have the kind of intense independence we're all looking forward to."

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By announcing its accelerated reopening efforts, Michigan is essentially scrapping its Vacc to Normal Plan, which it announced three weeks ago and which tied the loosening of the state's COVID-19 restrictions to its vaccination rate.

But COVID-19 vaccination numbers are no longer tied to when these restrictions will be lifted, with dates set for those milestone marks, instead.

Indoor limits will be increased to 50 percent capacity on June 1, and curfews and "hard caps" on capacity limits will be removed. Outdoor crowd limits will be lifted on June 1, as well.
Indoor capacity restrictions will be lifted on July 1.

"After a year of living COVID and with masks and distancing and hand washing, I know how jarring any chance to our daily lives feels in this time of transition," Whitmer said. "As we return to normal, we should remember that tough times don't last but tough people do. We've gotten through this pandemic because of each other."

Related: More Michigan COVID-19 Restrictions Could Be Eased Soon

Thursday's announcement comes as the federal government recommends that fully vaccinated people can stop wearing masks in many situations and places.

Nearly 57 percent of Michiganders ages 16 and older have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to data provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Capacity limits at sports stadiums and other public settings would increase once 60 percent of the state's eligible population became vaccinated, according to the Vacc to Normal Plan.

At 65 percent, indoor capacity limits will be lifted. Mask and gathering orders would be lifted at 70 percent.

More guidance regarding workplace coronavirus rules will be announced on Monday, Whitmer said.

Whitmer’s administration lifted a mask mandate for people who are outdoors regardless of their vaccination status beginning Saturday. It also lifted indoor mask requirements for people who are fully vaccinated. The moves came a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued similar guidelines.

Michigan has confirmed 879,685 COVID-19 cases and reported 18,741 deaths being attributed to the coronavirus as of Wednesday. But when Michigan will move forward to plans to relax its COVID-19 restrictions is based less on the number of positive COVID-19 tests being reported and more on the number of people receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, officials have previously said.