LANSING, MI – Tuesday couldn’t come soon enough for many Michiganers. That’s because Tuesday marks the end of most of Michigan’s COVID-19 restrictions, including a mandate for face-covering in many public spaces and capacity limits.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office announced the changes Thursday, citing falling COVID-19 cases and increased vaccinations.
“Today is a day we all looked forward to as we can safely return to normal, day-to-day activities and leave this pandemic behind,” Whitmer said in a statement at the time of the announcement. “We owe great thanks to the medical experts and health professionals who have been at the forefront of our safety. And we are incredibly grateful to all the important workers who have kept our state moving. “
Related: MI Is About To End COVID Restrictions: Here Are 3 Things You Should Know
But what will life be like in Michigan after more than a year of various health restrictions? Well, for some who choose to continue wearing face covering, it might not look much different. But a certain stigma associated with wearing a mask worries them.
In recent interviews with people in downtown Royal Oak, WXYZ reported that some feel ashamed of others for choosing to wear their masks in some public places.
“There were many judgments, but we kept our masks on,” Aarti Panchal told the TV station.
The problem isn’t unique to Michigan either. A recent column by Darcel Rocket of the Chicago Tribune suggests that “maskenshaming” and the politicization of choosing to wear a mask after the official end of the mandate is rampant in Illinois and other states.
“For each of us there was a moment when we realized we were being overwhelmed by an exceptionally powerful force (the pandemic) that we could not control,” Laurie Zoloth, bioethicist at the University of Chicago, said in an interview with the piece. “People reacted to this in two very different ways. Some people wore a mask and said, I take this seriously, I am in reality and I am careful. They have a story that involves a scientific understanding of what was going on goes.
“And for others, the mask was used to remind them of a painful truth that they would rather deny,” Zoloth continued in the article. “It is very destabilizing for these people to see someone wearing a mask because someone here is wearing the visible mark of disaster, and they do not want to be reminded of this tragic reality.”
Michigan Board of Canvassers to certify the clearance of Michigan petitions on Wednesday
The Michigan Board of State Canvassers is expected to confirm petitions collected Wednesday morning by the conservative group Unlock Michigan.
Recently, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the state’s electoral committee has a duty to uphold the group’s petition to repeal a 1945 law introduced by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in issuing public health orders during the Coronavirus pandemic was cited.
Last year, Unlock Michigan was able to garner enough voter signatures to repeal a 75-year-old bill cited by the Whitmer administration when it issued executive orders during the coronavirus pandemic. The law was later declared unconstitutional.
Related: Conservative Group Petition Targets MI Public Health Orders
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Weather for the coming week
After strong storms hit southeast Michigan on Sunday night, more storms could be okay for parts of the region earlier this week. Here is the upcoming forecast as provided by the National Weather Service in Detroit.
- Monday: High of 77, low of 49. Thunderstorms during the day and mostly cloudy at night.
- Tuesday: High of 71, low of 52. Sunny during the day, mostly clear at night.
- Wednesday: High value 77, low value 62. Mostly sunny during the day, partly cloudy at night.
- Thursday: High of 86. Mostly sunny.
Comments are closed.