(WWJ) -- After more than 15 months of COVID-19 restrictions and regulations in Michigan, the last statewide orders are set to be lifted Tuesday.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had initially set July 1 as the target date for lifting all remaining restrictions under her “MI Vacc to Normal” plan, but announced last week her administration would be peeling back all mandates early.
Most notable among restrictions to be lifted Tuesday include all indoor capacity limits and face masks for unvaccinated Michiganders.
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Although the state has not yet met its goal of reaching 70% of the population vaccinated against the virus, Whitmer says case rates, hospitalizations and mortality rates have plummeted.
She says the state has made great strides since seeing a nation-high spike in cases and deaths back in early spring, and she hopes Michiganders can keep that trend headed in the right direction.
“This is big news. It shows people are taking it more seriously and our vaccinations continue to increase,” Whitmer said. “To people who have not yet gotten vaccinated, please do. Get your questions answered, but these vaccinations really are the key to getting back to normal.”
Data from state health officials shows more than 890,000 confirmed cases of the virus since the state’s first case was detected more than 15 months ago. Additionally, the state says there have been more than 100,000 probable cases of COVID-19, meaning the Michigan is just shy of a million total cases. Michigan’s COVID-19 death toll recently surpassed 19,600.
More than 60% of Michiganders ages 16 and up have received the vaccine, according to state health officials, while around 80% of Michiganders ages 65 and up have received the shot.
In addition to capacity limits and face mask mandates being peeled back on Tuesday, other restrictions set to be lifted include mandatory testing at hospitals, jails and juvenile detention centers.