EAST LANSING, Mich. – Health officials are now reporting 107 coronavirus (COVID-19) cases linked to an outbreak at an East Lansing bar as of Monday.
Officials said that 14 people who visited Harper’s Restaurant and Brew Pub between June 12-20 contracted the virus. That number has risen to 107.
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Ingham County has issued an emergency order reducing restaurant capacity to 50 percent or no more than 75 people, whichever is less.
Executive Order 2020-114 already restricts restaurant capacity to 50 percent of normal seating, but it does not impose a limitation. The county’s emergency order means no food service establishment may have more than 75 patrons at one time.
“Large crowds are difficult to control,” said Ingham County Health Officer Linda S. Vail. “By allowing no more than 75 people, restaurants and bars will be better able to enforce social distancing and the use of masks and face coverings. I strongly encourage all bars and restaurants to strictly enforce safety measures and to do all they can to help stop the spread of coronavirus in our community.”
The case count now includes 95 cases of people who went to Harper’s during the exposure period. There are 12 cases of people who were in contact with a primary case, but didn’t go to Harper’s themselves.
Of the primary cases, 59 are residents of Ingham County. The others live in Clinton, Oakland, Wayne, St. Clair, Macomb, Eaten, Shiawassee, Livingston, Kalamazoo, Ottawa, Berrien and Calhoun counties.
People who visited Harper’s June 12-20 are considered exposed and have been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days since their visit. The cases are people between the ages of 16 and 28, with the median age of 21.
Officials said nobody has been hospitalized. Most have mild symptoms and 28 people are asymptomatic. At least 40 percent are Michigan State University students or recent graduates.
Everyone who was at Harper’s during the exposure period is strongly encouraged to seek testing. Public testing will be held on Tuesday from 12 - 4 p.m. on the MSU campus at 846 Service Road in East Lansing. It will be free.
For additional information, Ingham County residents can call the ICHD COVID-19 response line at (517) 887-4517 or visit hd.ingham.org/coronavirus