LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lifted the stay-at-home order for the entire state on Monday, allowing several businesses to reopen across Michigan.
The state is now in phase four of Whitmer’s reopening plan, or the “Improving” phase.
UPDATE -- June 1, 2020: Michigan coronavirus cases up to 57,532; Death toll now at 5,516
Here’s a look at everything that’s reopening:
Restaurants
Restaurants can reopen to dine-in service next Monday (June 8). Groups will have to remain at least six feet apart and servers must wear masks. Restaurants can fill to 50% capacity.
All restaurants had previously been limited to carry-out and delivery services since Whitmer’s first stay-at-home order was issued in March.
Restaurants and bars were allowed to reopen May 22 in the Upper Peninsula and Traverse City Region, which includes 17 counties in the northernmost part of the Lower Peninsula.
Retail
Up until Monday, retail businesses were allowed to have up to 10 customers at a time, but all business had to be by appointment.
Now customers can shop without appointments, starting Thursday (June 4).
Social distancing and safe coronavirus rules will remain in effect.
Day camps and grad parties
Day camps for children, as well as pools, can open next Monday (June 8).
These types of outdoor activities had been a hot topic of discussion as the weather improves in Michigan.
Under the new order, outdoor high school graduation parties are also allowed, as long as people who don’t live together stay at least six feet apart. Those gatherings can’t exceed 100 people.
Outdoor fitness, athletic events
Outdoor fitness classes, athletic practices, training sessions and games are allowed as long as coaches, spectators and participants not from the same household maintain a distance of six feet from one another at all times, Whitmer said.
That means gyms and fitness centers can hold outdoor classes and workouts as well, but they have to meet the social distancing guidelines.
These guidelines are effective immediately.
No more than 100 people can gather.
In-home services
Whitmer said in-home services, such as house cleaning, are also permitted.
These services are allowed immediately, she said.
Theaters
Drive-in movie theaters can open, effective immediately, Whitmer said.
Indoor theaters remain closed.
Office work
Any office workers whose jobs can’t be done remotely may return to the office, effective immediately, Whitmer said.
This has been the case in the Upper Peninsula and Traverse City Region since they were moved to the “Improving” phase of the reopening plan. Now, it is effective statewide.
Employees who can effectively work from home should continue to do so, Whitmer said.
Crowds
Ten days ago, Whitmer allowed Michiganders to gather in groups of 10 people. Now, if the gathering is outside, that number has been increased to 100, effective immediately.
In addition to graduation parties and athletic events, any gathering of up to 100 people is allowed, as long as the social distancing measures are followed, Whitmer said.
What’s not opening?
Whitmer mentioned some specific businesses will not open because they require close contact between workers and customers.
Hair salons and tattoo parlors are not allowed to reopen, Whitmer said. The owners of Michigan barber shops, salons and spas came together just last week with an eight-step reopening plan and asked Whitmer to lift the ban on their businesses.
Gyms will also remain closed, though the aforementioned outdoor sessions are allowed under the right circumstances.
Casinos will remain closed, as well.
Whitmer said her goal is to shift the state to phase 5, “Containing," before July 4.
On Sunday, the state announced 513 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, as well as an additional 28 deaths. Michigan has had a total of 57,397 cases and 5,491 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
As the daily rate of new cases and deaths continues to decline and overall testing ramps up around the state, Whitmer has started reopening certain sectors of the economy.
Her decisions are based on the six-phase model she released last month, called the “MI Safe Start Plan." In short, the model outlines how the state goes from a total lockdown due to the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 to returning to normal.
READ: Here’s how all 83 Michigan counties are divided into regions in Gov. Whitmer’s reopening plan
The six phases are uncontrolled growth, persistent spread, flattening, improving, containing and post-pandemic.
‘Improving’ phase
Before Monday, only two of the state’s eight regions were in the “Improving” phase of Whitmer’s reopening plan -- the Upper Peninsula and the Traverse City Region. All eight regions are now in that phase.
Whitmer said she plans to move those two regions to stage five later this week, but she needs to see the coronavirus numbers to make that official.
MORE: Here’s every Michigan county where bars, restaurants, retail reopened
Whitmer and Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun, the Chief Medical Executive for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said those two regions had checked enough of the boxes required to move onto the fourth stage.
“Both of those regions ... have sustained a low increase of cases per day," Khaldun said. "I’ve seen a steady decrease in positivity rates for tests that have been completed, and they have a low average number of deaths each day, when you compare them to the state average.”
Bars and restaurants were allowed to reopen at 50% capacity starting May 22. Groups are required to stay six feet away from each other and servers must wear masks.
Retail businesses were also allowed to partially reopen in those regions.
‘Flattening’ phase
Other than the two regions mentioned above, the rest of Michigan -- the Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Lansing and Jackson regions -- was previously in the “Flattening” phase of Whitmer’s plan.
There was some confusion over the hesitance to reopen more of the economy in the rest of the state, so officials released an online tool to try to explain their decision-making. It breaks down how close regions are to meeting the requirements for the next phase of the plan.
Both Khaldun and Whitmer hinted the rest of the state could join the “Improving” phase on Friday afternoon.
“As we continue to aggressively increase testing and the downward trend in cases continues across the state, in the upcoming days, we will be able to move forward different regions of the state in the MI Safe Start Plan," Khaldun said.
“If we continue on the trajectory we’re on, we’ll be moving more regions of the state forward in the coming days," Whitmer said.
Trend of slowly opening Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit -- part of the Detroit Region, which includes Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties -- was in the “Flattening” phase for the entire month of May after the MI Safe Start Plan was announced. Some businesses still reopened along the way, though.
Whitmer first loosened restrictions April 24, when she extended her stay-at-home order through May 15. She allowed some businesses linked to outdoor activities, such as golf and motorized boating, to reopen.
Landscapers, lawn-service companies, plant nurseries and bike repair shops were allowed to resume operating, subject to social-distancing rules.
On May 1, after again extending her stay-at-home order, this time until May 28, Whitmer reopened certain types of work that are typically outdoors, including construction work and real estate.
Michigan’s economy got a much-needed boost when Whitmer announced she would reopen manufacturing, including the Big 3 automakers. Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler would be allowed to reopen at the beginning of the following week, Whitmer announced May 7.
READ: How first day of reopening went for Ford, GM, FCA autoworkers
Whitmer announced May 21 that residents were allowed to gather in groups of as many as 10 people. Michiganders were previously restricted from visiting others and coming into contact with anyone outside their household, except in essential circumstances.
Retail businesses reopened Tuesday, as well as auto dealerships, by appointment. Retail businesses that reopen can have up to 10 customers inside at any time, Whitmer said.
Whitmer also lifted restrictions on health care providers who had to delay some nonessential medical, dental and veterinary procedures. Those procedures were allowed to resume Friday. Reopened health care facilities had to adopt strict protocols to prevent spreading the virus.
Several malls in the area reopened Thursday, including Briarwood in Ann Arbor, Great Lakes Crossing and Twelve Oaks.
Malls reopen in Metro Detroit: Can you touch surfaces? Is it safe to try on clothes?
More around Michigan
The state has seen more than just a pandemic over the last several weeks.
Thousands of residents in mid-Michigan were evacuated from their homes May 19 and 20 when the Edenville and Sanford dams failed, causing catastrophic flooding in and around Midland County.
“I feel like I’ve said this a lot over the last 10 weeks, but this is an event unlike anything we’ve seen before," Whitmer said. "We’ve got to continue to all work together to observe best practices, do our part to help one another and to wear our masks and continue to try to social distance in this moment.”
The floods, which displaced more than 10,000 people but didn’t cause any confirmed casualties, ravaged roads and neighborhoods.
This weekend, Michigan was one of many states that saw protests related to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Detroit and Grand Rapids were among the cities that saw large protests against police brutality. While authorities said protests were primarily peaceful, there was some violence.
On Sunday, the third night of protesting in Detroit, more than 100 were arrested, including 28 Detroit residents and two people from out of state. The rest were from Metro Detroit suburbs.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced an 8 p.m. curfew to try to control the protests after dark, but officials said some people didn’t adhere to the curfew.
Police used tear gas on protesters at times over the weekend. There were more reports of police making aggressive arrests and targeting clearly identified media members as tensions rose.
Other smaller protests took place in Royal Oak, Livonia and Marquette.