Michigan lawmakers and organizations are reacting to the extension of the partial shutdown in Michigan until Dec. 20
Related: Gov. Whitmer announces partial shutdown extended until Dec. 20 due to COVID-19
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and MDHHS Director Robert Gordon announced the extension on Monday. It continues the suspension of indoor dining, high school and college in-person classes, movie theatres, casinos and more.
Related: Here are the COVID-19 metrics Michigan officials will monitor before safely reopening
Related: Read the full Michigan epidemic order extending partial shutdown until Dec. 20
Read the statements below.
Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox
“Michigan businesses and families cannot withstand another shutdown, and I am calling on Governor Whitmer to reverse course and allow Michiganders the freedom to work, go to school, and be with their families during this holiday season. Instead of asking for $400 million dollars in aid, Whitmer should be removing the restrictions she imposed, that are causing the need for aid in the first place.”
Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association CEO Justin Winslow
“We aren’t surprised by the governor’s decision to extend Director Gordon’s MDHHS Order today, but we remain exceptionally disappointed. We firmly believe there is a better approach – one followed by 45 other states – that doesn’t use blunt force closure of a single industry to resolve a shared crisis. We maintain that a more nuanced approach that allows for limited indoor capacity with a curfew will result in greater compliance, better health outcomes and substantially reduced economic fallout.
Upon completion of this most recent Order, restaurant dining rooms will have been closed for 118 days, nearly one-third of the calendar year. We already know the impact of another extended shutdown will be significant, as the industry lost over $8 billion in sales and laid off more than 75 percent of its workforce when it was shuttered for an extended period in the spring.
The restaurant industry is comprised of creative and resilient individuals, but for a growing number of them, this latest pause is the cause of their lost livelihood and well-being.”
Michigan Health and Hospital Association CEO Brian Peters
"The MHA applauds the actions taken today by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to extend the COVID-19 emergency order. The chief medical officers of Michigan’s hospitals publicly expressed this morning the need to extend protections to preserve the viability of our healthcare system. While hospitalization numbers have started to stabilize, dozens of hospitals throughout the state are reporting critical staffing issues that impact the delivery of care for all patients – not just those needing COVID-19 care. We are thankful that our state’s leadership is responding to data and will continue strategic measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19.
It is still up to all Michiganders to do their part in our state’s response. Honor healthcare workers this holiday season by getting your flu shot and practicing the big three preventive measures: wear a mask, avoid social gatherings and practice proper hand hygiene. We are all in this together."
National Federation of Independent Business State Director Charlie Owens
“Promises of $100 million in state aid to the impacted businesses are appreciated, but in the context of the economic damage caused by these closings it is a drop of water in Lake Michigan. Even the more robust federal rescue loans and grants will not roll back the tide of coming small business failures and bankruptcies from the extended closures.”
“Nationally, one-in-five (20%) of small business owners report that they will have to close their doors if current economic conditions do not improve over the next six months. As a state, conditions in Michigan are more dire due to extended closing and greater restrictions. For many small businesses, the holiday season is their whole year from a revenue perspective.”
“Small business does not want to exist on government handouts. They want to get their employees back to work and open their doors again."
