On Thursday, October 29, 2020, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a new Gatherings and Face Mask Order replacing the previous one issued on October 9. The order is effective until rescinded. The new order includes some of the same provisions as well as a number of new ones placing limits on gatherings, imposing contact tracing requirements for restaurants, and more. Highlights include the following:
- Definitions of a number of terms, including childcare organizations, gathering, and symptoms of COVID-19
- Indoor gathering restrictions as follows:
- 50 or fewer persons in a nonresidential indoor venue without fixed seating, limited to 20 persons per 1,000 square feet
- 500 or fewer persons in a nonresidential indoor venue with fixed seating, limited to 20 percent of seating capacity
- At nonresidential indoor gatherings, all persons wear a face mask
- Outdoor gathering restrictions as follows:
- 100 or fewer persons gathered at a residence
- 1,000 or fewer persons at an outdoor venue with fixed seating, limited to 30 percent capacity
- All persons at nonresidential outdoor gatherings wear a face mask
- Capacity restrictions in addition to the gathering restrictions, covering gatherings at retail stores, libraries, museums, gyms and other recreational sports activities, waiting rooms at outpatient health care facilities, professional sports, pools, and more
- Exceptions to the capacity restrictions for voting or election-related activities, public transit, classroom and day care settings, and more
- Specific face-covering requirements for all nonresidential gatherings, public transit systems, businesses, stores, offices, and childcare organizations
- Revised and expanded regulations for food service establishments, including the following:
- Tables must not exceed 6 people, and each party must be 6 feet apart.
- The number of patrons may not exceed 50 percent of normal seating capacity.
- Revised and expanded regulations for organized sports, including requirements that athletes wear face masks and limitations on live audiences
- Excpanded contact-tracing requirements for dine-in food service establishments (effective on November 2, 2020), personal care facilities, sports and entertainment facilities, in-home services, and gyms and other recreational facilities
Along with the new order, MDHHS issued an infographic and fact sheet as well as social gathering guidance, illustrating and describing the order’s requirements. You can find all of the orders on the MDHHS Epidemic Orders webpage.