LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Directive 2020-08 Tuesday, directing state departments and agencies to ensure establishments are prioritizing the enforcement of COVID-19-related laws.
According to the governor's office, COVID-19 cases have risen over the past month -- from a rolling seven-day average of about 15 cases per million in mid-June to about 50 cases per million in late July.
"Without effective enforcement, Michigan will move backwards, causing individuals, businesses and the economy to suffer," the governor's office said.
Under the directive, directors and agency heads should assign elevated priority to the enforcement of COVID-19-related laws, like limited capacity and requiring face masks in enter businesses, at places where transmission of virus is well-documented, including nursing homes, meat processing plants, and agriculture housing.
“Ensuring these executive orders are enforced across the state will protect Michigan families, small businesses, and the first responders on the front lines of this crisis,” Whitmer said Tuesday. “This fight is not over yet. During the month of July we saw an increase in positive COVID-19 cases in every region of the state. By allocating the appropriate and needed resources, we can continue to save lives and ensure we don’t have to move backward.”
Executive Directive 2020-08 requires departments to "consider violations of law when determining eligibility for licensing." This includes any violation of COVID-19 executive orders.
If a state department or agency becomes aware of non-compliance under the law, the executive directive says they must consider it to be "presumptive evidence of a public health hazard” or “imminent and substantial hazard to the public health” and take appropriate steps to mitigate any risk to public health and safety. This includes, but is not limited to, suspension of a license or cessation of operation of a food establishment.
The governor's office said Michigan State Police will enforce violations of COVID-19-related laws, such as executive orders and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services orders, just as they do any other violation of the law.
The signing of ED 2020-08 comes nearly a week after Whitmer limited indoor gatherings to 10 people, limited outdoor gatherings to 100 in most of the state, and closed indoor bar service in upper Michigan. Previously, the governor pointed out that the COVID-19 resurgence in the state was closely associated with large social gatherings.
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