Michigan

MICHIGAN — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order to partially reopen the economies of the Upper Peninsula and Traverse City regions starting this Friday, May 22. Retail businesses, including bars and restaurants, will be able to open with 50 percent capacity. Some offices will also be allowed to open if the work can’t be done remotely. Cities, villages and townships may choose to take a more cautious approach if they choose because the order does not abridge their authority to restrict the operations of restaurants or bars.

MICHIGAN — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has extended the state’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order through May 28. The governor’s order will also enable manufacturing workers, including those at Michigan’s Big 3 auto companies, to resume work on Monday, May 11 as part of her MI Safe Start Plan. Under this order, manufacturing facilities must adopt measures to protect their workers from the spread of COVID-19. These measures include conducting a daily entry screening protocol with temperature checks, creating dedicated entry points and suspending entry of all non-essential in-person visits, including tours. Workers must also be educated on how the virus is spread, its symptoms and use of personal protective equipment. All businesses in the state — including manufacturers — must require masks to be worn when six feet of distancing is not possible.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. — Michigan Medicine has unveiled an economic recovery plan in response to COVID-19. The health system says it is faced with projected financial losses of up to $230 million in the fiscal year ending June 30 and expects losses to continue into fiscal year 2021. The organization will delay capital projects that are not needed for safety or regulatory compliance. This includes construction of a new inpatient facility. The planned $920 million, 264-bed facility in Ann Arbor has been delayed for at least a year, not opening before fall 2025, according to Crain’s Detroit Business.  The recovery plan also includes organizational restructuring and a combination of furloughs and layoffs totaling approximately 1,400 full-time employees. In addition, a hiring freeze will leave 300 current vacancies unfilled. Leaders across Michigan Medicine will also take a salary reduction. Marschall Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine and dean of the U-M Medical School, will reduce his compensation by 20 percent. He has asked his direct reports, department chairs and other leaders to voluntarily reduce their compensation on a scale between 5 and 15 percent. Other expense savings include suspension of merit increases, employer retirement match, tuition reimbursement and reductions to supplies, consulting and …

MICHIGAN — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order to enable the resumption of construction and real estate activities starting Thursday, May 7. Construction sites must adopt a set of best practices to protect workers from infection. These practices include designating a site supervisor to enforce COVID-19 control strategies, conducting daily health screenings for workers, creating dedicated entry points, identifying high-risk areas and controlling them for social distancing practices, and ensuring sufficient hand washing or hand-sanitizing stations at the worksite. The governor’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order remains in effect until Friday, May 15. Under this order, Michiganders must not leave their homes except to run critical errands, engage in safe outdoor activities or go to specified jobs in effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Citizens are also required to wear face coverings while in enclosed, public spaces.