Followimg the lead of other Midwestern states, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has decided to close all Michigan bars and restaurants in the state. The order will take effect as of 3:00 Monday afternoon. She did not say how long they will stay closed. The governor says this is to enforce “social distancing” in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Take-out and delivery will be available at many restauants, she told downstate mediia outlets. The story was first reported by the Detroit Free Press and WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.
As of 9:30 this morning, the official order had not been sent out to media, but the governor’s office confirms that the closure is to be enforced as of 3:00 this afternoon.
Monday is also the first day of three weeks of closures of Michigan’s public schools.
Michigan reported 53 coronavirus cases as of Sunday night. None of them in the Upper Peninsula.
