‘We’re not going to ask for proof’: Michigan’s mask mandate change complicates things for businesses
Updated 4:11 PM;
Today 3:52 PM
Tyler Rorah, 18, of Brooksville, receives a Moderna COVID 19 vaccine shot from LPN Sonie Woods, right, while receiving his CDC (issued) Covid 10 Vaccination Card during his vaccination appointment on Monday, April 5, 2021.Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP
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Vaccinated people no longer have to mask up indoors in Michigan starting this weekend – a move applauded by many state business leaders.
But the move also complicates the mask mandate which still remains in effect indoors for unvaccinated people and brings new questions about how the rule will be enforced. With the Legislature and business leaders speaking out against the idea of vaccine passports, it leaves the new rules subject to the honor system.
April 29, 2021
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced a plan to get more Michiganders vaccinated against COVID-19 so the safety restrictions can end. The governor’s office has released the following:
LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer today set the state of Michigan on a pathway to return to normal by unveiling the ‘MI Vacc to Normal’ plan as the state continues to push toward its goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders ages 16 years or older. To facilitate this goal, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will base future epidemic order actions on four vaccination-based milestones that, once achieved, will enable Michigan to take a step toward normalcy.
1 in 4 Gyms in Michigan Will Close for Good by the End of 2021
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Today I saw a scary statistic from the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association that said 1 in 4 gyms in Michigan will close by the end of the year.
According to Mid-Michigan Now, earlier this week the Michigan Fitness Club Association discussed both challenges and opportunities created by the pandemic.
Powerhouse Gyms International owner Steven Todd:
The greatest threat to our business the past 12 months hasn’t been the business down the street that’s a different logo that’s the same product or service that I have. The biggest threat to my business the last 12 months is an existential threat, that is something outside the logo, but if we can come together as an industry and as a group and have that relationship with the political parties, that’s where we get our traction.
Opinion: Fitness centers play a key role in public health
Adam Hollier
In the melee of a public health emergency, leaders everywhere try to do whatever they can to protect people. It’s a big responsibility, and clear answers are not always available to provide direction.
Closing gyms and fitness centers at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic was the right thing to do at the time. After all, it seems like a place where people sweat, breathe heavily and share exercise equipment would be a prime place for trading illness.
However, data from the Michigan Fitness Club Association shows that 1.35 million visitors to 100 member gyms between September and early November have resulted in only 26 cases of COVID-19 a .00192% positivity rate.