Gov. lifting mask mandate for fully vaccinated Michiganders

As of 9 a.m. Saturday, Michiganders who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not have to wear face coverings.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday announced the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is updating its order to align with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest guidance on masks issued Thursday.

The CDC recommended that “fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

“For more than a year, we’ve been following the best data and science to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives,” said Whitmer. “The vast majority of us have trusted the scientists and experts to keep us safe during the pandemic, and it has worked. With millions of Michiganders fully vaccinated, we can now safely and confidently take the next step to get back to normal. The message is clear: vaccines work to protect you and your loved ones. If you have not yet received your vaccine, now is the time to sign up. This pandemic has been one of the toughest challenges of our lifetimes, but we came together as a state to persevere. We have all been working incredibly hard toward getting back to some sense of normalcy, and today’s news makes all of that work worthwhile.”

 Under the updated DHHS Gatherings and Mask Order, Michiganders who are outdoors will no longer need to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. While indoors, fully vaccinated Michiganders will no longer need to wear a mask, but residents who are not vaccinated, or have not completed their vaccinations, must continue to wear a mask or face covering to protect themselves and others. After July 1, the broad indoor mask mandate will expire.

Michigan has a total of 871,569 COVID-19 cases and 18,467 people have died from the virus, with an additional 2,057 cases and 112 deaths since Wednesday.

Michigan has administered 7.9 million vaccines, with 55.6% of Michiganders ages 16 and older having received at least one dose and more than 43% percent of Michiganders ages 16 and older being fully vaccinated.

The state has also administered the vaccine to 927 Michiganders between the ages of 12 to 15 years old, as the CDC this week green lighted usage of the Pfizer vaccine for that age group. About 500,000 children in Michigan are now eligible.