LANSING (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday tightened pandemic restrictions in northern Michigan while letting Detroit’s three casinos reopen at limited capacity after four-plus months of being closed to curb the coronavirus.
The new limits covering 32 northern counties match ones already in place in the rest of the state. Indoor gatherings in the Traverse City and Upper Peninsula regions — where the rate of new COVID-19 cases is lower — will be capped at 10 starting Friday at 12:01 a.m., down from 50. Bars must close for indoor service if more than 70 percent of their gross receipts are from alcohol sales.
The three casinos in Detroit can open Aug. 5. They will have to ban smoking and limit capacity to 15 percent. Tribal casinos, which are not regulated by the state, have already reopened and have been operating safely, Whitmer said.
“After seeing a resurgence in cases connected to social gatherings across the state, we must further limit gatherings for the health of our community and economy,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. She cited “super-spreading” events often attended by young people and linked to outbreaks — an East Lansing bar, a house party in Saline, a sandbar party at Torch Lake.
Indoor theaters, gyms, bowling alleys and places like outdoor concert venues can remain open in the Upper Peninsula and much of the northern Lower Peninsula, subject to capacity caps and distancing requirements.
The state health department on Wednesday reported two virus-related deaths and nearly 1,000 additional cases. About 300 were older results due to a backlog from a commercial lab.
Michigan had the country's ninth-lowest rate of new cases over the past two weeks, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from John Hopkins University. But the seven-day average, nearly 700, was up by about 133 from July 14 and 338 from a month ago. Deaths remained well below April peaks.
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