Michigan extends coronavirus stay-at-home order, opens manufacturing statewide

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order extending the state's stay-at-home order from May 15 until May 28. The order will also allow manufacturing workers to head back to work starting May 11, including Michigan's Big 3 auto companies, Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler.

“This is good news for our state, our businesses and our working families,” said Whitmer. “We’re not out of the woods yet, but this is an important step forward on our MI Safe Start plan to re-engage our economy safely and responsibly. As we continue to phase in sectors of our economy, I will keep working around the clock to ensure our businesses adopt best practices to protect workers from the spread of COVID-19. When we all keep doing our part, we can reduce the risk of a second wave and re-engage our economy safely and responsibly.”

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Under the order, manufacturing facilities must adopt measures to protect their workers and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Measures include daily entry and temperature screening for workers, which includes a questionnaire covering symptoms and exposure to people with potential cases of coronavirus. Manufacturers must also create dedicated entry points at every facility and suspend entry of all nonessential in-person visits, including tours.

Manufacturing facilities must also provide information and training to workers on the signs and symptoms of the coronavirus and how it is transmitted from person to person. They are also required to provide training on steps workers can take to notify the business or operation of signs and symptoms of COVID-19, or suspected or confirmed diagnosis, as well as the use of personal protective equipment.

Manufacturing employees are required to wear masks when they are unable to maintain 6 feet of separation from others, and those who cannot consistently maintain 3 feet of separation from other workers should consider wearing face shields.

“We have supported Governor Whitmer’s approach to keeping families, communities and companies safe since the beginning of this pandemic,” said Andi Owen, president and CEO of furniture manufacturer Herman Miller. “Our manufacturing teams are at the heart of our company. Working within the governor’s guidelines will help to ensure we maintain the safest environment for our employees, both as they come to work and return home to their families.”

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The news comes as dozens of protesters, some of whom are armed, have continued to gather inside and outside Michigan's capitol building to protest the governor's stay-at-home order, demanding to go back to work to provide for their families.

Despite Facebook removing posts about the Open Up rallies in Michigan and other states for being "events that defy government's guidance on social distancing," anti-lockdown protests continue in more than 20 states.

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Protesters congregate inside the Capitol Building after the "American Patriot Rally on Capitol Lawn," protest, Thursday, April 30, 2020, in Lansing, Mich. People gathered to urge lawmakers to vote to end the emergency order amid the new coronavirus. (Nicole Hester/MLive.com/Ann Arbor News via AP)

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Under the stay-at-home order, Michiganders are not allowed to leave their homes except to run critical errands, to engage in safe outdoor activities or to go to specified jobs.

There are more than 45,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 4,200 deaths in Michigan

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