It's been a while.
Finally, people in Michigan will be able to go to indoor theaters, cinemas, performance venues, gane arcades, bingo halls, skating rinks, bowling centers, indoor climbing facilities and trampoline parks, starting Oct. 9, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday.
“Michigan took some of the most aggressive action against Covid-19 in the country, and as a result, the health of our families and our economy are faring better than our neighbors in other states," Whitmer said in a statement. "As a result, we are now able to reopen movie theaters and performance venues with strict safety measures in place."
Rules regulating the reopenings include these:
► Inside: Non-residential indoor gatherings and events must limit attendance to 20 people per 1,000 square feet or 20 percent of seating capacity, with a maximum of 500 people.
► Masks: Face covering required.
►Outside: Non-residential outdoor gatherings and events must limit attendance to 30 people per 1,000 square feet or 30 percent of seating capacity, with a maximum of 1,000 people.
“We are not out of the woods yet, and we will continue to monitor the effects of these incremental changes," Whitmer says in a statement. "Right now, the federal government and all 50 states have been under some form of state of emergency. We must stay the course and continue fighting this virus on behalf of our families, frontline workers, and our small businesses.”