It’s a small step backwards as far as Michigan’s reopening goes. Governor Gretchen Whtimer, by Executive Order Wednesday, is closing indoor bar services across much of the Lower Peninsula. Regions 6 and 8, which include the Upper Peninsula and much of the Northern Lower Peninsula, are excluded from the order. Bars in the remaining regions can still operate, but only on an outdoor basis. The executive order takes effect at 11pm tonight. The decision to close indoor bars comes after a spike in daily case counts especially in the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Kalamazoo regions. Nearly 25% of diagnoses in June were of people ages 20 to 29, up from roughly 16% in May. The governor also has signed a package of bills allowing cocktails-to-go at bars and restaurants to help these businesses serve more Michiganders during this time.
