Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will now allow personal services such as hair and nail salons, massage therapy, and tattoo parlors to reopen statewide on June 15. On June 1, the governor rescinded the stay-at-home order for the state, 69 days after the first issuance. The order was extended four times since it went into effect on March 24, 2020.
During a press briefing on Friday, June 5, Whitmer said she will advance Regions 6 and 8 – which includes Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula – to Phase 5 of the MI Safe Start Plan on June 10.
This new step will allow salons, gyms, and movie theaters in these regions to reopen. Outdoor gatherings of 250 people and indoor gatherings of 50 people are permitted under this order, subject to safety and preventative measures.
Though Regions 1-5 and 7 will remain in Phase 4, Whitmer hopes to move these regions to Phase 5 in the coming weeks.
“If the current trajectory continues, I do anticipate that in a few weeks the whole state will be in Phase 5,” Whitmer said. “That is my fervent hope. That has always been our goal, to safely reengage.”
The spread of COVID-19 has been increasingly declining, although Whitmer said the virus is still “very present” in the state, reminding Michiganders to remain vigilant in adhering to safety practices.
“We can see that this was a virus that has hit us aggressively (specifically talking about Michigan),” Whitmer said. “We’ve had a uniquely tough time with COVID-19. We took the steps we needed to to start to save lives, build up our PPE and testing capabilities.
“That’s why it’s on all of us to keep doing our part,” Whitmer advised. “It’s not just about us as individuals – it’s about our economy, it’s about our state, it’s about our loved ones. And so, as we continue to move forward, recall that we are still in this. We are in this together and if everyone continues to do their part we will continue moving forward together.”
