Michigan Governor Orders Closure of Indoor Service at Bars

Whitmer is doin’ her best to destroy Michigan!

source: Fox News

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer became the latest state leader to roll back the easing of some restrictions as the country deals with a surge in coronavirus cases when she signed an executive order Wednesday closing indoor service at bars throughout most of lower Michigan.

Whitmer, a Democrat who has faced intense pressure from some residents to speed up the reopening of the state amid the pandemic, defended her order as necessary amid reports that the recent surge in COVID-19 is tied, in part, to people gathering in bars and restaurants.

“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………Following recent outbreaks tied to bars, I am taking this action today to slow the spread of the virus and keep people safe.”

Gretchen Whitmer
Governor, Michigan

She added: “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.”

Bars won’t have to close down completely under Whitmer’s new executive order, and taverns in the Upper Peninsula and much of northern Michigan are not subject to the mandate due to low numbers of reported COVID-19 virus cases in those areas. All bars may still keep open their outdoor patios. The order takes effect at 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Over the previous week, Michigan has seen a spike in new cases with the daily case count now exceeding 20 cases per million in the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Kalamazoo regions. Nearly a quarter of new cases in June in the state were reported among people between the ages of 20 and 29 – an age bracket known to frequent bars more than others.

An outbreak tied to a large brewpub in East Lansing near Michigan State University has spread to about 140 people from a dozen counties, according to Ingham County health officer Linda Vail. She said most of the cases have involved younger adults, but some who have caught the virus from bar patrons are older and therefore at higher risk for severe illness.

Whitmer said in a news release that the outbreak tied to Harper’s Brewpub is not an isolated incident, and her order covers the state’s largest cities, including Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids. Upticks in COVID-19 cases have been seen in other bars in Michigan and other states such as Florida and Texas.

Michigan governor orders closure of indoor service at bars in much of the state over coronavirus fears

Calamity Jane