Michigan Governor: No More Indoor Bar Service in Lower Peninsula
Outdoor bar service is still allowed.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has issued an order to close all indoor bar service the state's lower peninsula for businesses where 70% of their income is from alcohol.
"We owe it to our front line heroes who have sacrificed so much during this crisis to do everything we can to slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the chance of a resurgence like we are seeing in other states,” said Governor Whitmer. “Following recent outbreaks tied to bars, I am taking this action today to slow the spread of the virus and keep people safe. If we want to be in a strong position to reopen schools for in-person classroom instruction this fall, then we need to take aggressive action right now to ensure we don’t wipe out all the progress we have made."
"As bars have reopened for indoor service across the country, they have been linked to a growing number of large outbreaks—especially among young people. Here in Michigan, for example, health officials in Ingham County have linked 107 confirmed COVID-19 cases to an outbreak in a single bar in East Lansing. Similar super-spreader events have been documented in bars in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and elsewhere."
As of today, 107 cases of COVID-19 have been linked back to a Lansing bar, which has caused the region to move backwards in the reopening phases.
Governor Whitmer signed another bill today that allows bars and restaurants to sell cocktails-to-go, as well as providing a discount of 23% to vendors who buy alcohol from the state.
You can read the entire executive order HERE.