Certain indoor activities allowed to resume in Michigan starting Monday

(LANSING, Mich.) The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services updated its epidemic order on Friday at a news conference in Lansing. Governor Gretchen Whitmer was joined by Michigan's chief medical executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, and Robert Gordon, the director of MDHHS. The updated order starts on Monday December 21 and goes through January 15th. Starting Monday December 21, casinos, bowling alleys, and movie theaters will be allowed to reopen. However, they will not be allowed to have more than 100 people inside at a time, and they won't be able to serve food or drinks. High Schools will also be allowed to have students and teachers back in the classroom for in person learning. Under the order bars and restaurants will have to remain closed for indoor service but can still offer outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery. The updates to the order come as Michigan has been giving out the first doses of Phizer's COVID-19 vaccine and case rates have declined across the state. The state's current COVID-19 positivity rate is 10.6 percent. Governor Whitmer said Michigan has made progress since November and encouraged people to make a plan to get the vaccine once it's available to them. "These past few weeks, Michiganders across the state stepped up and did their part to slow the spread of COVID-19, and because of our collective hard work we are now able to begin the steps to carefully lift some of the protocols we have in place," said Governor Whitmer. The order still restricts indoor residential gatherings with a cap of 10 people. With Christmas just a week away, officials urged caution. "At Thanksgiving, most Michiganders sacrificed and avoided family get-togethers. We need to do the same thing this holiday season. Then we can re-engage more activities sooner and more safely," said MDHHS director Robert Gordon. Some other things that remain closed under the order include: indoor group fitness classes at gyms, water parks, and night clubs.