Need to Know: Vaccine benchmarks, microchip pain and more from the week in review
Michigan Governor's Office
Robert Gordon quit as Michigan health director in January on the same day he signed an order allowing restaurants to reopen for indoor dining after a monthslong shutdown following a resurgence of COVID-19.
WHITMER OUTLINES VACCINE BENCHMARKS
THE NEWS: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday announced a plan to tie the lifting of coronavirus pandemic restrictions to Michigan's vaccination rate, meaning in-office work restrictions are likely to ease before the end of May. Under the "MI Vacc to Normal" plan, all workers can go to their office two weeks after at least 55 percent of the 16-plus population has one shot — a rate state officials expect to reach by the end of this week, meaning this first step could be reached before the end of May. After a 70 percent vaccination rate, or approximately 5.67 million adults, the state health department's broad gatherings and face mask order will be lifted unless unanticipated circumstances arise, such as vaccine-resistant variants.