Michigan to reopen further “ in the next few days ” as COVID numbers improve, Whitmer says

LANSING, Mich. – More of Michigan is expected to reopen in the “coming days,” with the relaxation of some COVID-19 restrictions, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

“We expect to make more announcements about new engagements in the coming days,” said Whitmer. “Our case numbers and public health statistics are heading in the right direction, and we are very happy to see that.”

READ: 12 takeaways from Gov. Whitmer’s Feb. 24 COVID-19 briefing

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued a three-week break in mid-November and that break has been extended and revised several times over the past three months.

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Most recently, the order was quietly extended by the state until March 29, but Whitmer hinted on Wednesday that there will be more re-engagement soon.

“I feel very optimistic, so let’s keep going,” said Whitmer.

Nursing home visits and collection restrictions are among the issues being considered.

“We look very closely at the trend lines,” said Whitmer. “We’ve really seen Michigan get in a much stronger position.

“We hope we will be able to announce additional aspects of re-engagement on (the nursing home) front – hopefully as early as next week.”

She said if the state takes a step to allow more meetings, it will be incremental. That is to avoid a big spike in cases.

“As we determine the next steps, this is part of the conversation we’re having,” Whitmer said. “One of the things I’m warning, though, is that we know one of the biggest areas of distribution was in homes this fall. They were gatherings that took place where people dropped their guard.

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“Every step we have taken is incremental. Like we said, it’s a dial, not a light switch. “

However, it doesn’t sound like restaurants will see their restrictions relaxed.

“I am hopeful that we will eventually get to that point,” Whitmer said. ‘But at the moment we are only working on it for a few weeks. We have to keep looking at the data. We need to make sure we have antigen tests available. “