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4:13 PM, Feb 27, 2020

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Dr. Khaldun: Bars in Michigan will remain closed due to 'unique risk factor'

Posted at 9:08 PM, Sep 16, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-16 21:08:39-04

Bars in Michigan will remain closed due to their "unique risk factor," Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said in a press conference Wednesday.

She said there is data that shows that many outbreaks from COVID-19 in the United States originated in bars and restaurants.

Risk factors include tight spaces and the consumption of alcohol, which leads people to change their behaviors.

When Governor Gretchen Whitmer originally reopened bars and restaurants with limited capacity, there were several outbreaks stemming from bars that impacted hundreds of people, Dr. Khaldun said.

Since then, Whitmer has suspended indoor bar service.