COVID-19On April 9, 2020, Michigan Governor Whitmer, extended the State’s March 23, 2020 “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order. It was set to expire on April 13, 2020, but it will now extend through April 30 and goes into effect tonight at 11:59 PM.

Continued Limits on Employers and Employees

Consistent with the prior order, the extension (Executive Order 2020-42) places limits on gatherings, travel, and all workers who are not necessary to sustain or protect life to stay home, with very limited exceptions.

As to employers,  they remain prohibited from requiring workers to leave their homes, unless those workers are necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations. Further, businesses and operations are to designate the workers who meet those criteria and must adopt social distancing practices and other mitigation measures to protect workers and patrons in the performance of that in-person work.

Workers who are necessary to sustain or protect life include those in health care and public health, law enforcement and public safety, grocery store workers, and more. For a full list of these critical infrastructure workers, click the link to Executive Order 2020-42 at the bottom of this page. To enable these critical workers to get to their workplaces, automobile dealerships will now be allowed to open for remote sales, though showrooms must remain closed.

Extension Needed as Michigan Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Climb

The extension of Governor Whitmer’s initial stay at home order was not unexpected because of the significant increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases. Here is what she had to say:

Michigan has the third-highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, and we’re still on the upswing. We must continue to do everything we can to slow the spread and protect our families. Data shows that most Michiganders are doing their part by staying home and staying safe. That’s good, but we must keep it up. When we do, we can save lives and shorten the amount of time we’re working through this crisis, which will be good for our families and good for our economy in the long-run. We can also protect critical infrastructure workers like doctors, nurses, grocery store employees, and child care workers. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that people stay home and stay safe.

New Restrictions under the Order

The new order, however, also imposes more stringent limitations on stores to reduce foot traffic, slow the spread of the coronavirus, and save lives. It also places restrictions on what large stores may continue to sell. For example, large stores must also close areas of the store that are dedicated to carpeting, flooring, furniture, garden centers, plant nurseries, or paint.

Use this link to contact Michigan attorney Jason Shinn if you have questions about this article or for complying with coronavirus related governmental orders.