LANSING, Mich. — Michigan will remove the vast majority of its COVID-19 restrictions by July 1, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday.
On June 1, all outdoor capacity limits will lift and indoor capacity limits will increase to 50 percent. A month later, all COVID-19 restrictions will be removed, including the remaining elements of the state’s mask mandate.
Whitmer noted that plans could change if “unanticipated circumstances arise."
“We may have one or more targeted orders in place to protect vulnerable populations, but for the most part, life will be back to normal,” Whitmer said. “We can have the kind of Independence Day we're all looking forward to.”
The announced changes are slightly different from plans previously outlined in Whitmer's Vacc to Normal plan.
For instance, the previous plan required 60 percent of Michigan adults to have at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccines to lift limits on indoor stadiums, funeral homes and gyms along with bars and restaurants.
Right now about 57% of adults in Michigan have at least one dose of the vaccines. The state has administered approximately 7.9 million doses of the vaccines and Michigan has seen five weeks of continuous decline in cases.
Despite the upcoming loosened restrictions, Whitmer encouraged residents to respectfully comply with requirements at individual businesses. Stores like Target and Home Depot still require masks to shop inside. Other businesses like Trader Joe’s, Kroger and Meijer have all loosened or removed their restrictions.
“After a year of living with COVID and masks and distancing and handwashing, I know how jarring any change to our daily lives can feel in this time of transition,” Whitmer said. “I'm asking that people extend one another a little bit of grace as we return to normal.”
Whitmer encouraged residents who are hesitant about the vaccines to talk with a trusted medical professional and get vaccinated.
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