LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – While the head of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association says an additional two-week closure means more businesses will close their doors forever, the state Department of Health and Human Services has extended the ban on indoor dining through the end of January.
According to MDHHS Director Robert Gordon, the department’s epidemic order continues to temporarily pause indoor dining in bars and restaurants, but they can continue to offer outdoor dining, carry-out and delivery. Gordon says the working plan is to open indoor dining with mitigation measures, capacity limits and a curfew on February 1, but the ultimate decision depends on data continuing to stabilize.
Additional details on the reopening pathway are expected next week.
Many industry officials are not happy about the extension. “Bars, restaurants and other businesses in the hospitality industry were looking forward to reopening on Jan. 16,” said MLBA Executive Director Scott Ellis. “In fact, we’ve been ready to reopen for a long time. The state’s data indicated that we weren’t a problem industry when we were unfairly shut down in November.”
Today’s updated epidemic order will allow re-opening of additional activities like indoor group exercise and non-contact sports. It’s believed that means most high school winter sports won’t start as scheduled this weekend.
The January 13, 2021 COVID-19 Gathering Guidelines chart from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey was extremely critical of the extension of the epidemic order, saying:
“Today’s announcement is another display of the tone-deaf response we continue to hear from the Governor. Overreach by the Governor has crippled an entire industry and peripheral supply chain businesses.
Further, the notion that she can select a perfect time for restaurants to open as opposed to allowing these local businesses to open when they are ready, continues the ‘government knows best’ attitude from the executive branch that is causing people and capital to leave Michigan.
The Governor is still unable to identify the data to justify the original sin of forced closures, let alone the repeated punishment of a single industry forced to bear the responsibility of an entire state in preventing the spread of COVID. It seems the Governor’s reasoning behind today’s announcement is simply that she has realized she cannot sustain this continued abuse of families and their livelihoods. Unfortunately, her action is likely too little, too late for many Michiganders.
There never was science or data to support the destruction of lives and livelihoods. And because the Governor never established causation, she may likely do it again.
In the meantime, we join others who see this light at the end of the tunnel and we pray it comes in time for our local businesses to remain afloat.”
