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Whitmer extends coronavirus emergency through Aug. 11

Governor Gretchen Whitmer photo
wiki-commons

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday extended Michigan’s coronavirus emergency declaration through Aug. 11, citing an uptick in new cases over the past three weeks.

The move, which was expected, allows the Democratic governor to keep in place various orders designed to curb COVID-19, including certain business closures, limits on gatherings, a mask requirement and longer unemployment benefits.

She pointed to the state’s death toll — 6,236 confirmed and probable deaths related to COVID-19.

“That’s more than 6,000 of our parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors. And the rising numbers we’ve seen over the past few weeks prove that this virus is still a very real threat in our state,” Whitmer said in a statement in which she again urged residents to wear a face covering and practice physical distancing while out in public. She first issued an emergency declaration in March.

Sheriff’s deputies in Michigan’s third-largest county, meanwhile, will respond to business complaints about customers not wearing masks but will not be actively enforcing the governor’s new, tougher order.

Macomb County deputies will treat a no-mask incident as a trespassing violation if a store owner calls for help, the sheriff’s department said. If people want to complain about others not wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic, they should contact the attorney general’s office, the department said.

“We hope this clears up any confusion. ... We encourage all to wear a face mask,” the department said on Facebook.