Tri-City Sun

Although some constituents believe the way Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has handled the COVID-19 pandemic indicates she was attempting to control the economy and residents' lives, she took the chance to shoot down this myth during a recent press conference. 

“Things have not been closed for eight months,” Whitmer said, Michigan Capitol Confidential reported. 

And it's true that the state's economy hasn't been completely shut down, but this is the way it seems to many Michigan residents. 

"For instance, the epidemic orders issued by the state health department restrict how many people may gather indoors. It does so by first declaring that indoor gatherings are prohibited. That is about as broad and blunt as it gets. The only indoor gatherings that are allowed are those that the order makes an exception for: gatherings of 10 or fewer, representing no more than two different households," Michael Van Beek writes in a Michigan Capitol Confidential op-ed. 

This regulation doesn't specifically shut anything down, but it is an extremely restricting regulation, which can prevent many activities and businesses from being able to operate. 

Another regulation is used to limit outdoor gatherings, stating that they "are permitted only" for 25 or fewer people who live within three or fewer households. 

"These prohibitions on gatherings apply to just about every interaction that occurs in public because a 'gathering' is defined as 'any occurrence, either indoor or outdoor, where two or more persons from more than one household are present in a shared space.' That covers just about every activity you might care to do outside your home," Van Beek writes. 

Currently, businesses are open because they follow special rules and regulations laid out by the governor. To stay open, a business must follow social-distancing mandates and other restrictions. This applies to entertainment facilities, restaurants, schools, gyms and child care centers. 

"These ambitious prohibitions may appear harmless. The state, even with the full force of every county and local government behind it, could never fully enforce these rules. There’s no doubt that people violate these rules regularly. When considering the challenge of enforcing compliance, it’s clear that these strict gathering prohibitions are just for show, because it is impossible for most individuals to precisely adhere to all of them," Van Beek says, according to Michigan Capitol Confidential.