Michigan’s Governor Issues Executive Order To Suspend All Nonessential Activities
As of March 24, Michigan residents have been ordered to cease all activities that are not necessary to sustain or protect life. This is the latest action taken state-wide to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
On December 31, 2019, officials in Wuhan confirmed dozens of cases of pneumonia from an unknown cause. A short week later, the outbreak was identified to be a new coronavirus - now known as COVID-19. On March 11, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) labeled coronavirus as a pandemic.
The number of cases throughout the US and around the world continues to rise. Schools and daycares have been shutting down. Businesses are closing their doors temporarily.
As the coronavirus continues to spread worldwide, new measures are being enacted here in the US to limit transmission. Travel restrictions and bans on gatherings of larger than 10 people are being adopted in many states. The World Health Organization and CDC have plenty of recommendations for personal safety and hygiene.
An increasingly popular tactic is social distancing, which plays an important role in slowing the spread of the virus, given that it’s transferred easily from one person to another. Even those who show mild symptoms can easily pass the virus via coughing or sneezing in the general vicinity of healthy individuals. Experts recommend maintaining a distance of at least six feet between individuals to limit the spread.
However, these measures have not yet curbed the spread to a great enough degree, prompting further action here in the state of Michigan. Effective as of March 24, 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has ordered a suspension of all activities that are not necessary to sustain or protect life.
What Does This Executive Order Mean?
The full details of the order can be reviewed on the Michigan.gov website, but the primary points to be considered include:
- This order prohibits in-person work that is not necessary to sustain or protect life.
- All individuals currently living within the State of Michigan are ordered to stay at home or at their place of residence.
- All public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring among persons not part of a single household are prohibited.
- All individuals who leave their home or place of residence must adhere to social distancing measures by remaining at least six feet from people from outside the individual’s household.
- No person or entity shall operate a business or conduct operations that require workers to leave their homes or places of residence.
However, there are professional exceptions to these restrictions. Those that operate in what are considered essential roles (“critical infrastructure workers”) are exempt. These fields of work include:
- Health care and public health.
- Law enforcement, public safety, and first responders.
- Food and agriculture.
- Energy.
- Water and wastewater.
- Transportation and logistics.
- Public works.
- Communications and information technology, including news media.
- Other community-based government operations and essential functions.
- Critical manufacturing.
- Hazardous materials.
- Financial services.
- Chemical supply chains and safety.
- Defense industrial base.
Furthermore, the order clarifies that while nonessential professional activities are suspended, and individual are encouraged to stay home as much as possible, it does allow for necessary exercise and other activities:
- Walking
- Hiking
- Running
- Cycling
- Any other recreational activity consistent with remaining at least six feet from people from outside the individual’s household
What Does This Mean For You?
If you’re unsure of whether your business is considered part of the exempt critical infrastructure work, be sure to review the order carefully. If your work is nonessential, but you still need to keep your staff productive while they’re at home, the Micro Visions team can help.
We have been assisting our diverse network of clients to develop and launch business continuity plans, including remote workforce capabilities. If you'd like expert insight on how to do so for your business, get in touch with our team to see how we can assist.
