LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she hopes some of the stay-home restrictions can be lifted starting May 1, meanwhile the Senate's Republican leader is laying out a specific plan to re-open the economy.
Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey is proposing going to a "home, work, home" order right now. That way some businesses will be able to reopen their doors in phases.
"No body is expecting and nobody is advocating for a complete lifting of the restrictions on unnecessary social interactions," said Sen. Shirkey.
Shirkey is proposing a six step plan to reopen Michigan's economy, starting with opening businesses that are closed to the public seven days after a steady decline of cornavirus cases in the state.
"We are just proposing we start at the simplest end and make our way toward the more complex end sooner rather than later," he said.
Scientists agree the economy needs to reopen soon, and doing it in phases is the right thing to do.
"I like the stages because they open it up based on location and based on the stage for that location," said Davenport University Microbiology professor Laura Harris.
She does have concerns about Shirkey's plan.
"The only concern is going to be travel, or what I would call migration to those cottages that are up north," said Harris.
But Harris said we aren't to the point of reopening the economy just yet, with 760 new cases reported Friday.
Last week when FOX 47 talked to Harris, she expected Michigan to start to plateau as early as next week.
However, now she's not as optimistic after seeing this week's protest outside the capitol.
"We could be seeing some hot spread because of the public activity," said Harris.
Right now Governor Whitmer's Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order expires April 30.
You can ready Shirkey's proposal here.
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