(WWJ) -- After 15 months of capacity restrictions and being hit by the country's worst surge of COVID-19 infections this spring, Michigan is fully reopened once again, just in time for the official start of summer.
The state on Tuesday officially lifted all remaining indoor and outdoor capacity limits and peeled off the face masks for good, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration ended the remaining restrictions.
Limits on indoor gatherings like weddings and funerals are gone, and unvaccinated people are no longer required to wear masks indoors. Healthcare facilities, including dental offices, are still requiring masks, social distancing and other precautions for patients.
The move comes a little more than a week earlier than initially planned, as Whitmer set a July 1 target date to end restrictions earlier this spring.
The end of COVID-19 restrictions across the state comes as positive case rates, deaths and hospitalizations decrease and the number of Michiganders getting vaccinated continues to rise.
While the state reported a little more than 300 new cases and 35 deaths over a three-day period on Monday, more than 60% of all vaccine-eligible people ages 16 and up have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while more than 55% are fully vaccinated.
Whitmer, along with state health officials, are still encouraging the public to receive the vaccine, despite the end of restrictions, in hopes of preventing another surge in cases.
"People can feel the freedom that comes with 61% of our population getting vaccinated," Whitmer said on CNN Tuesday morning. "When we get to 70%, we'll all be much safer."
Whitmer is expected to speak Tuesday at noon to address the end of restrictions in Michigan.
Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest updates on this story. >>> LISTEN LIVE
