Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed a new executive order that further limits gatherings of people. As Rick Pluta reports, the order took effect at midnight and lasts until April 13th.
The order bans gatherings of any size outside a single household in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. Whitmer says without a cure and without a vaccine, the answer for the moment is to enforce “social distancing.” She says that will buy time for researchers to develop an antidote and for hospitals to manage caseloads.
“The number of cases will go up yet today, tomorrow, and in the days ahead. It will take some time for us to impact this.”
Violating the order would be a misdemeanor. There are exceptions, including shopping for food and medicine, and jobs deemed critical. People are also allowed to take walks or runs outside as long as they maintain a safe distance from others.
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— Rick Pluta is the Managing Editor and Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
