(WXYZ) — Restaurants in Michigan will be able to open on Feb. 1 with some restrictions, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Friday.
Related: Gov. Whitmer confirms Michigan restaurants can open starting Feb. 1
Under the latest epidemic order, which will go into effect on Monday, Feb. 1, there are several restrictions. They are below.
- Restaurants can open for indoor dining at 25% capacity
- No more than 100 people inside a restaurant
- Tables must be six feet apart
- No more than 6 people per table
- Bars and restaurants must close by 10 p.m.
- Contact information for patrons taken for contact tracing purposes
- Outdoor tents with four sides permitted under same rules
“The pause has worked. The efforts we have made together to protect our families, frontline workers and hospitals have dramatically reduced cases and we have saved lives. Now, we are confident that starting February 1, restaurants can resume indoor dining with safety measures in place,” Whitmer said in a release. “Michigan continues to be a national leader in fighting this virus, and we must continue working to keep it that way. One of the most important things Michiganders can do is to make a plan to get the safe and effective vaccine when it’s available to you. And as always, mask up and maintain six feet of social distancing. We will end this pandemic together.”
Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association President Justin Winslow released this statement after the announcement.
“We welcome the governor’s decision to reopen restaurant dining on February 1 as good, if overdue news. It is now time for this administration to move aggressively towards a more comprehensive reintegration strategy, which includes prioritizing vaccination for the broader hospitality industry and establishing clear metrics for phased reopening to 100 percent capacity of indoor dining. The hospitality industry and its sizable workforce has suffered far worse than its peers from this pandemic, losing nearly 3,000 restaurants and employing 200,000 fewer workers than a year prior. It also stands to gain the most from a proficient and expedited vaccination schedule, which is why we contend that there is no more important step the governor can take to get Michigan’s economy back on track than restoring public confidence in Michiganders ability to safely dine and travel.”
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