Michigan to Lift Mask Requirement for Fully Vaccinated Residents
Following the CDC releasing new guidance Thursday (May 14) on mask recommendations, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced that fully vaccinated Michiganders will no longer be required to wear a mask or face covering indoors or outdoors.
The new order will start this Saturday (May 15) at 9 a.m.
“For more than a year, we’ve been following the best data and science to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives,” Whitmer stated in a press release. “The vast majority of us have trusted the scientists and experts to keep us safe during the pandemic, and it has worked. With millions of Michiganders fully vaccinated, we can now safely and confidently take the next step to get back to normal.”
He added, “The message is clear: vaccines work to protect you and your loved ones. If you have not yet received your vaccine, now is the time to sign up. This pandemic has been one of the toughest challenges of our lifetimes, but we came together as a state to persevere. We have all been working incredibly hard toward getting back to some sense of normalcy, and today’s news makes all of that work worthwhile.”
The CDC’s new guidance says “fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”
In addition, under the new MDHHS Gatherings and Mask Order, Michiganders will no longer be required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status when outdoors. Fully vaccinated Michigan residents won’t have to wear a mask indoors, but Michiganders who aren’t vaccinated or haven’t completed their vaccinations are still required to wear a mask or face covering.
To date, Michigan has administered 7,875,785 vaccines, according to a release.
