Muskegon Sun

Following the end of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency powers after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Robert Gordon has stepped up the issuing of emergency health orders, with the latest targeting restaurants, many of which are already struggling to survive as the winter sets in.

Gordon’s Gathering Prohibition and Face Covering Order will require restaurants and bars to gather the names and telephone numbers of anyone they serve, under the auspices of contact-tracing efforts, according to coverage by Bridge Michigan. Additionally, restaurants and bars will be prohibited from seating more than six people at a table.

Gordon’s order also dropped the maximum crowd size -- regardless of venue capacity -- for banquets, weddings, conferences and similar gatherings from 500 to 50 people, according to Bridge Michigan.

Robert Gordon, Director MDHHS | Michigan.gov

The rural northern portion of the Lower Peninsula will also now be back under Phase 4 restrictions as they were outlined by Whitmer prior to her emergency powers being ruled unconstitutional. Residents there will be under the same crowd size limitations as the heavily populated southern regions of the state, and all K-12 students will be required to wear masks at school.

While Michigan lawmakers have taken the cue from the state Supreme Court to resume their responsibilities in decision-making, Whitmer’s administration has sought to outmaneuver the court by pushing mandates through the state health department, according to Bridge Michigan.

Gordon has also continued the treatment of COVID-19 order violation as a misdemeanor, with penalties including a fine of up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

“Our strong preference, and that of our law enforcement partners, is education and voluntary compliance,” Gordon told Bridge Michigan. “Nobody is wanting to punish, but penalties are available.”