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New Executive Order signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer reduces public gatherings to 50 people

Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Posted at 6:57 PM, Mar 16, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-17 05:33:24-04

(WXYZ) — Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed a new Executive Order reducing the number of people allowed at assemblages and events.

Full coverage: Coronavirus outbreak in Michigan

The new Executive Order reduces the allowable number to 50. A previous Executive Order had reduced it to 250.

It comes on the heels of new guidance from the CDC and will go into effect Tuesday, March 17 at 9:00 a.m. and will remain in effect until April 5 at 5:00 p.m.

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The order provides an exception from its prohibition on assemblages for health care facilities, workplaces not open to the public, the state legislature, mass transit, the purchase of groceries or consumer goods, and the performance of agricultural or construction work.

“My number one priority remains to protect the most people we can from the spread of coronavirus,” said Governor Whitmer in a news release. “We are all better off when all of us are healthy, and that’s especially true for the most vulnerable. These aggressive actions are aimed at saving lives. My administration will continue to do everything we can to mitigate the spread of the disease and ensure our children, families, and businesses have the support they need during these challenging times. We are going to pull through this together, just as Michigan has done in the past.”