LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday that reopening the state will be based on coronavirus (COVID-19) data.
This means that some areas that have fewer cases of the virus may open before other areas, such as Metro Detroit, where the bulk of the cases are concentrated.
Workplaces that pose the least risk of virus transmission will be the first to reopen, such as construction work and other outdoor work. Businesses in areas that have been stabilizing will be able to open first.
Several businesses have already been allowed to reopen after Whitmer extended the state’s stay-at-home order Friday. The extension had loosened restrictions, which allowed some businesses to get back to work.
MORE: Here’s what was reopened in the revised stay-at-home order
While there is a plan in the works, Whitmer did not provide a timeline for when businesses will reopen or which workplaces will be permitted to resume work. Instead, she said she is working with industry and public health experts to determine which businesses will be able to get back on the job first.
Businesses that reopen that will be required to follow strict sanitation procedures and provide personal protection equipment, such as masks, to their employees.
Also, workplaces will be prohibited from retaliating against employees who stay home if they think they are sick or someone in their home is sick.
Whitmer said she will provide further details about these industries at a later date.
VIEW: A timeline of closures, event bans, stay-at-home orders
She noted that there is no set timeline for when the state will reopened and reiterated that as data shifts, dates and plans could also shift as she works to prevent a second COVID-19 surge.
Whitmer also said she is requesting the State of Emergency be extended by 28 days.
It is slated to end Thursday.
“We have to be really smart -- we have to get this right,” Whitmer said.