Holland Reporter

Despite previous statements indicating that indoor dining could reopen Monday, Feb. 1, Michigan residents can only guess if that will come to fruition, as state officials have failed to commit.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has hinted that the state could reopen restaurants but also sent mixed signals on the possibility of bringing relief to the restaurant industry. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy reported that the governor has three metrics upon what she is basing her decisions: daily positive tests, portion of hospital beds used for COVID-19 patients and test positivity rates, areas in which the state has shown improvement since restaurants have closed for indoor dining, Nov. 18. Despite improvements, the state has failed to set specific benchmarks to reach, and officials have expressed doubts about reopening.

Robert Gordon, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services director, has also failed to provide clarity after initially declaring the state’s intent to reopen restaurants Monday, Feb. 1.

Adding to the mystery is the governor’s concern over the more contagious new variant of the coronavirus, initially found in the U.K., that has reached the U.S. and has begun spreading.

“When this appears in Michigan, it will be a very concerning moment,” Whitmer said, according to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. At that point, it could be anyone’s guess when indoor dining will return.