Governor Whitmer Announces Mask Mandates Will Be Lifted June 1st

Lansing, MI – May 20, 2021 – Today Governor Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist spoke to share changes made to the Back to Normal project and stated that all mask mandates will be lifted on Tuesday, July 1st.  Listen to the full speech below or keep reading for a complete transcript.

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Good afternoon. Today, I am going to provide an update on masks and then we will walk through some of the changes to the Back To Normal plan about building back our economy.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer:
To date, Michigan has administered almost 7.9 million doses of the safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines to more than 4.6 million Michiganders ages 16 and up, with 57% of our eligible population receiving at least one dose. Cases and test positivity have declined for five straight weeks, hospitalizations have declined for three weeks in a row, and our COVID metrics are trending downward in Michigan and, of course, across the country. This is great news. Over 60% of American adults have gotten their first shots and almost half are fully vaccinated nationwide, so life is getting back to normal.

Last Thursday, the CDC released new guidance on masks based on the strength of vaccines and preventing infection and spread among vaccinated people. Now, the guidance stated that vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or socially distance outdoors or indoors other than in certain medical spaces. We have adjusted our mask policy to match the CDC recommendation, so now in Michigan, fully-vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask outdoors or indoors unless required by their work or business.

Our recovery continues to pick up steam. Michigan’s unemployment rate is now 4.9%. That’s over a full point below the national average. In the past year, unemployment in Michigan has fallen by nearly 80% and we have added 968,000 jobs over the last year. But we still have work to do. We are still short of where we were before the pandemic and our economic recovery is going well, but we need to do and continue to do a lot more to invest in our families, small businesses and communities to help them succeed.

As with every decision that we’ve made throughout the pandemic, we are leading with science and data to keep you and your family safe. But the way to put this pandemic behind us is for everyone to get their shot. The vaccine is the best way to keep you and your family and the most vulnerable among us safe from COVID-19.

Recently, the Pfizer vaccine, manufactured right here in Michigan, was authorized for children ages 12 to 16. Tens of thousands of kids have already gotten their shot to protect themselves from COVID and its variants, and I encourage all parents with kids in that age range to speak to your doctors about this vaccine.

While millions of Michiganders have already gotten vaccinated, I know that many people still have questions, or some just want to wait it out. I want to speak to those people and answer some of their questions.

First, these vaccines are safe. Over 160 million Americans have taken it. It’s been rigorously tested and is trusted by doctors. Like other vaccines before it for polio and smallpox, the vaccine represents hope and healing. And even if you’ve had COVID, you should still get vaccinated to protect yourself from variants and repeat infection. If you received a monoclonal-antibody treatment, you should still get your shot, but you need to wait 90 days after the treatment. If you want to know more, I encourage you to speak with your family doctor and learn how vaccines can save your life and the lives of the people you love.

Now, let’s talk about some changes to the Back To Normal plan. As you can probably imagine, when the CDC came out last week with new mask guidance, we had to go back to the drawing board.

Come on, that’s kind of funny. You’re not paying attention.

All right. We went back to the drawing board. Originally our plan had four steps, each of which was tied to a percentage of Michiganders receiving their first shot plus two weeks. The first step started at 55%, and we hit that number pretty quickly. That means that we take the step on next Monday of getting people back in workplaces.

The following steps would have happened every 5% as our vaccinations grew. On May 10th, when we [inaudible 00:11:51] at 55%, we now will see MIOSHA take action to allow offices across Michigan to allow in- person work at workplaces. Next Monday, we’ll have a lot more detail to share on the MIOSHA rules for COVID-19 workplace safety.

Now, based on the new mask guidance, we have two steps to get back to normal. On June 1st, all right, June 1st, all outdoor capacity limits will be lifted including here at the Dow Diamond. You can come and cheer on the Loons. We will maintain …

All right. The Dow Diamond folks are really excited, and I am too.

We will maintain our mask rule as already announced, but otherwise lift all mitigation measures on outdoor gatherings and only retain a 50% capacity limit on indoor establishments. That means that an indoor social gathering like a wedding or a funeral or a conference or a graduation party will be allowed to resume at 50% capacity through the month of June. In June, people who are not yet fully vaccinated are-

In June, people who are not yet fully vaccinated are required to continue to mask up when they are indoors. MDHHS will officially release the updated order on Monday, so you can check it out that. On July 1, that is when we will take our final step. We will lift the broad mask and gatherings order, and we’ll no longer impose broad mitigation measures during the pandemic. Unless of course, unanticipated circumstances arise. We do not expect that to happen. We look at this as the last moment of these types of orders. We will be able to sing at church, dance at weddings, cheer at games, hug each other, and laugh together. I know that that is welcome news to so many. We may have one or more targeted orders in place to protect vulnerable populations, but for the most part, life will be back to normal and we can have the kind of Independence Day we’re all looking forward to.

After a year of living with COVID and with masks and distancing and hand-washing, I know how jarring any change to our daily lives feel. In this time of transition, I’m asking that people extend one another a little bit of grace. As we return to normal, we should remember that tough times don’t last but tough people do. We’ve gotten through this pandemic because of each other, because of our fellow Michiganders. As daily routines start to look more normal, we should recognize that everyone processes change at different speeds and in different ways. And so for the next few weeks and possibly months, some Michiganders will feel safer with a mask, even if they’ve been vaccinated, and that’s okay. Other Michiganders who may have been vaccinated are ready to go mask free, and that’s okay too. Either way, there should be no shaming or guilt tripping. Instead, I encourage people to have a conversation with their family doctor about the safe, effective vaccines, ask your questions, and learn more about how incredible they are and how they can help us get back to normal.

So personally, since I am two weeks past my second dose, I’m going mask free because I know it’s safe for my family, for me, and those around me. We should trust one another to make choices that are best for us. On July 1st, the broad mask rule will be lifted, but I want to be clear about the fact that businesses and workplaces are well within their rights to require masks as patrons go in. So, let’s give them our support as they navigate what’s best for them and their workforce and their patrons. There will ultimately come a day when masks will be distant memories, maybe in boxes in our basements, but until then, we’ve got to transition back to normalcy together and give each other some grace.

Now, as our economic recovery continues, our task is clear, build back better. Right now we have an opportunity to make transformative investments in Michigan’s fundamentals, in our schools, in our small businesses, in our communities. We have over a billion dollars in federal COVID relief funds sent to us by the Trump administration. You heard that right. Last year, they sent it to us and they’re still awaiting action in the legislature. I want to thank Midland’s Senator, Senator Stamas, and our Appropes chair, for helping get dollars out the door for Michiganders. And I look forward to continuing our partnership to do just that. We also have billions headed our way under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which includes $5.7 billion to the State of Michigan, $4.4 billion to local governments, and $3.9 billion to Michigan schools.

We need to think big right now, think outside the box. If we use these resources effectively, we can create thousands of good paying jobs for Michiganders and put us on a path to prosperity that far outlast our recovery from COVID. In addition to these federal funds, we also have the state budget, and I laid out my budget priorities back in February. My budget proposal focuses on people, projects, and potential. Largest investment in K-12 education in our history, without raising taxes, invest $370 million to lower childcare costs, in some cases, down to zero for 150,000 Michigan families, beefs up the Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners, puts $300 million toward fixing bridges, $290 million in the MI Clean Water Plan to build up water infrastructure and create thousands of good paying jobs. So to meet this moment, we have to work together in a civil bipartisan way. We got to get these billions and aid out the door for Michiganders now.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer:
Our jobs numbers are headed in the right direction, and we still have work to do to get back to our pre-pandemic levels of employment and beyond. I look forward to getting these budgets done and spending these federal dollars in the smartest way to benefit all Michiganders. In the weeks and months ahead, as we emerge from this pandemic, my administration will double down on the kitchen table issues that have guided our agenda from day one, a great education for every Michigan child, better paying jobs and path to education and skills, clean air and water, reliable roads and bridges, and much more. I am excited about the opportunity in front of us, and I’ll continue to work to make sure we realize our potential. So with that, thank you. I’m going to hand it over to the lieutenant governor, and then we’ll go from there. Thanks.

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist:
Thank you, Governor, and good afternoon, everyone. I also want to acknowledge and thank Governor Whitmer for her leadership. I also want to acknowledge Jim Fitterling, Dow, the mayor, others who have joined us here today for this important announcement about how we’re going to move forward together, the pathway to the back end of this pandemic. I’m really thrilled to be here in Midland, here at the Dow Diamond. When we marked the one year anniversary, excuse me, of our first COVID cases, we stood in stadiums like this that were empty, addressing the hardships that we have been through as a state. But all of us, even at that moment when we were low, we had hope, hope that we’d be able to fill stadiums like this one, stadiums like the Breslin Center, stadiums like The Big House, to enjoy a musical or a play at the thousands of theater venues across the State of Michigan, or like the Fox Theatre in my hometown of Detroit, and of course enjoy the sports that we love and that connect us across any device.

With every passing day, we move closer to reaching and reclaiming that sense of normalcy that we have all been craving. We must continue to encourage every person in Michigan who’s eligible to make the choice to get vaccinated. This is the safest, this is the pathway for us to make sure that we can protect one another in addition to protecting ourselves, and that we can enable the opportunity that we know lies before us. In this particular area, I know that we’re no stranger to coming together, because we faced unimaginable circumstances here in Mid Michigan. Shortly after the flooding that happened in this area, I was able to come out and personally tour where the dams fell. I was inspired to see how quickly the people of Midland and Sanford came together to support one another. I was actually equally inspired by the way that people from every corner of the State of Michigan really stepped up to stand tall for their Michigan neighbors, and friends, and family, and yet strangers, because they knew that that helping hand was necessary. I’ve also visited Sanford Park for cleanup project and toward the M30 bridge that was rebuilt in partnership with community and with the Michigan Department of Transportation. I’m thankful for those employees and team members who worked tirelessly to repair that bridge and do so, so quickly, recognizing how critical that infrastructure is to this community. So many people have opened their doors to friends and family in need of shelter, in need of support. It’s like everyone coming together after this historic flooding event to start the next chapter, and the people of Mid Michigan have stepped up and begun writing. And that’s why one year later, Governor Whitmer and I are here to show, not only that we continue to maintain support, but that support is not going anywhere.

Now, since the start of the pandemic, the governor had been focused on trying to do the right things, on acting quickly, on following the science, on listening to experts. And because of not only governor’s leadership but because people across the state, elected appointed leaders, community leaders, individuals have stepped up, Michigan is on our way to getting back to normal and rebuilding and re-imagining our economy. We have so many resources that the state has contributed and committed to supporting not only the survival, but supporting those who are going to be coming out bigger and better after this pandemic is over, whether it’s programs like our Small Business Restart Grants, programs to support restaurant owners and workers, programs to support the first responders and the people who’ve been working all weird during this pandemic to make sure that we could continue life and sustain it.

We are looking forward to continuing those investments and leveraging every resource so that we can emerge from this pandemic stronger and better connected than ever. We’ll leverage all of the resources of state government to rebuild this economy back better, harnessing every economic tool at our disposal, and working with leaders in government, leaders in the private sector and beyond to create an environment where entrepreneurs, where people with ideas no matter where they live in Michigan, can bring those ideas forward into reality, to create good paying jobs and opportunities for all Michiganders. Just yesterday, we saw how Michigan’s economy is moving forward. As our unemployment rate is lower than national average, we’ve added jobs for three consecutive months. 968,000 jobs have been added over the past year. That is real progress, progress toward getting Michiganders and our economy back to normal.

The governor will remain focused on economic recovery resilience, and most of all opportunity for all, but one of the most important steps, which we cannot reiterate enough is making the choice to get vaccinated. Since I last spoke with the press corps, I’ve had a chance to receive my second dose in Flint, Michigan. I’m proud now to be counted amongst the people who have gotten both shots. This is our best shot to be free from this pandemic and the quickest way to getting our country and our communities back to where we want them to be, where we can hug one another, we can get back to work, we can go to restaurant, we can send our kids to school to play sports without the thought and the fears that we’ve all had to live with.

But even now, there’s still conversations to be had with people who have questions. Those questions are okay, and those questions have answers. It’s important to recognize that we all have the power to encourage someone to make that choice, and that every person in Michigan who has not yet chosen to get vaccinated is just one conversation away. That’s why we formed the Protect Michigan Commission to connect people with the information and resources from credible sources that they could trust, from community resources that people have relationships with and have had self-regenerations, to use that credibility, to demonstrate the credibility of the vaccine. And this effort has required the biggest, broadest coalition of leaders for anything we faced in Michigan-

Broadest coalition of leaders for anything we faced in Michigan. It’s the largest and most diverse commission that we’ve appointed and it’s working, as people choosing to get vaccinated every single day. So I want to challenge Michiganders, especially those who have already gotten at least one vaccine dose, to talk about your experience. To let people know whether you had questions, whether it took a little convincing to get you to that decision point. The vaccine sites that I’ve toured, speaking with nurses who come out of retirement to help this effort they talk about calming and comforting people. As they sit down to get their vaccine dose. Those nurses are public servants. They are heroes and miracle workers because they are helping people get back to normal.

So I want you to make sure that you’re using every resource you have, that you send a text message to someone today. That you sent a Facebook message to someone today. That you have a conversation on the phone or in person with someone today. Because we all know people who may not have yet made that choice. But if we make every effort we can get to and beyond having 70% of people in Michigan vaccinated, we can see the finish line coming into focus and now we got to give it everything we have. This is essential and it’s the most important choice that people in Michigan can make right now. Along with our partners in the federal government, Governor Whitmer and I have committed to making sure that we can grow our economy back stronger and better. We’re going to use everything at our disposal to make that happen.

This has shown us in this pandemic that Michiganders really can do anything. We are capable of any and everything when we come together and work together to do extraordinary things. We’ve seen that spirit here in Midland, in a matter of hours this community came together to start recovering from a once in 500 year flood to mobilize and evacuate to safety, tens of thousands of people with not a single casualty. That is the embodiment of hope, determination, and grit. That is in the DNA of every person who calls Michigan home. So I hope that every person who’s watching from around the state can channel that energy that is so present and is represented by these people and these leaders in this part of our state today.

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist:
So thank you all for having me today. Thank you all for really, truly standing tall for one another and standing tall for the state of Michigan. And let’s remember to reach out to one another, to take care of one another, to be there for one another. Let’s make sure every Michigander knows that every other Michigander has their back. And now it’s my honor to turn the podium here over the mayor of this great city.