(WWJ) The city of Detroit is stepping up enforcement of coronavirus restrictions and safety protocols at bars and restaurants, effective immediately.
At a news conference Thursday, Mayor Mike Duggan said there are businesses in the city that are not complying with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive orders.
The mayor said these establishments should expect a drop-in shortly for a "polite" converstation about it.
"Today and tomorrow, Denise Fair and our health department team, along with the Detroit Police Department, are going to be visiting a number of the bar and restaurants we saw concerns with last weekend to put them on notice," Duggan said. "And basically we're looking at two things: the governor's order indicates that your capacity is 50% of your normal capacity. If you're letting people in in bigger crowds you're in violation of that order."
"And your staff have to be wearing masks," the mayor stressed. "I understand that people are going to be taking off their masks to eat or drink; that's expected in a bar or a restaurant. There's no reason why the employees, who are moving from person to person and capable of transmitting the disease in a hurry, should be without a mask."
Duggan said he has worked closely with Gov. Whitmer to get these establishments reopened, and he's not going to allow a handful of businesses not following the rules ruin things for everyone else.
The city, the mayor said, will not hesitate to take action against those who continue to defy the orders.
"We have some that I would call borderline nightclubs with dancing that last weekend, particularly Saturday night, we had people clearly in excess of capacity," Duggan said.
"The health department will come and talk to you Friday and Saturday night, and if you are not able to enforce the capacity requirements, we'll be going into court Monday morning with the health department, asking for an order for you to be shut down."The move by Detroit officials comes a could of days after Harper's Restaurant & Brewpub in East Lansing voluntarily closed when the Ingham County Health Department announced at least 34 cases of COVID-19 were linked the the bar. Anyone who visited Harper's earlier this month is urged to get tested, and to self-quarantine for two weeks.
Duggan pointed to that outbreak as a reason Detroit must be cautious.
"You could have have two or three establishments spark a new burst of COVID in this community, and we can't have that happen," Duggan said. "What's gonna happen is what's happened in Jacksonville and a number of other places. The governor's going to step in and shut everybody else back down again."
Earlier this week, Whitmer said she has decided against moving the rest of the state to Phase 5 over her reopening plan this week, citing the Harper's incident as one of the reasons for the delay.
"We know that COVID-19 is still here, and that's why every one of us has to continue to take this seriously," the governor told WWJ's Tim Skubick. "If we can trace and keep it from spreading exponentially we'll be OK, but if people just drop their guard and don't answer the phone when the department of public health calls...it is something that I think can put all of this sacrifice that we've made in jeopardy."
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported 323 news confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Michigan — the biggest increase since May 31.
Whitmer said health officials are concerned about spikes in some parts of Michigan, and are keeping a close eye on these outbreaks.
