Governor Gretchen Whitmer releases “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order 2020-21

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced in a morning press conference a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order.  The order reads in part, “To suppress the spread of COVID-19, to prevent the state’s health care system from being overwhelmed, to allow time for the production of critical test kits, ventilators, and personal protective equipment, and to avoid needless deaths, it is reasonable and necessary to direct residents to remain at home or in their place of residence to the maximum extent feasible.

This order takes effect on March 24, 2020 at 12:01 am, and continues through April 13, 2020 at 11:59 pm.”

A list of essential businesses and workers can be found here.

 

Exceptions to the order are as follows:

    1. Individuals may leave their home or place of residence, and travel as necessary:
      1. To engage in outdoor activity, including walking, hiking, running, cycling, or any other recreational activity consistent with remaining at least six feet from people from outside the individual’s household.

 

  1. To perform their jobs as critical infrastructure workers after being so designated by their employers. (Critical infrastructure workers who need not be designated under section 5(a) may leave their home for work without a designation.)

 

  1. To conduct minimum basic operations, as described in section 4(b), after being designated to perform such work by their employers.

 

  1. To perform necessary government activities, as described in section 6.

 

  1. To perform tasks that are necessary to their health and safety, or to the health and safety of their family or household members (including pets). Individuals may, for example, leave the home or place of residence to secure medication or to seek medical or dental care that is necessary to address a medical emergency or to preserve the health and safety of a household or family member (including procedures that, in accordance with a duly implemented nonessential procedures postponement plan, have not been postponed).

 

  1. To obtain necessary services or supplies for themselves, their family or household members, and their vehicles. Individuals must secure such services or supplies via delivery to the maximum extent possible. As needed, however, individuals may leave the home or place of residence to purchase groceries, take-out food, gasoline, needed medical supplies, and any other products necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and basic operation of their residences.

 

  1. To care for a family member or a family member’s pet in another household.

 

  1. To care for minors, dependents, the elderly, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons.

 

  1. To visit an individual under the care of a health care facility, residential care facility, or congregate care facility, to the extent otherwise permitted.

 

  1. To attend legal proceedings or hearings for essential or emergency purposes as ordered by a court.

 

  1. To work or volunteer for businesses or operations (including both and religious and secular nonprofit organizations) that provide food, shelter, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, individuals who need assistance as a result of this emergency, and people with disabilities.

 

  1. Individuals may also travel:
    1. To return to a home or place of residence from outside this state.
    2. To leave this state for a home or residence elsewhere.

 

  1. To travel between two residences in this state.
  2. As required by law enforcement or a court order, including the transportation of children pursuant to a custody agreement.
  1. For purposes of this order, critical infrastructure workers are those workers described by the Director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in his guidance of March 19, 2020 on the COVID-19 response (available here). Such workers include some workers in each of the following sectors:
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