Michigan will soon let bars and restaurants sell unused liquor back to the state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bars and restaurants are currently allowed to fulfill carry-out and delivery orders, but the industry is reeling from the loss of in-person customers.

Under a new executive order from Whitmer signed Monday evening, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission will initiate a spirits buy-back program using its revolving fund to let bars and restaurants with on-premises liquor licenses sell back spirits for their full purchase price.

The order applies to remaining inventory purchased prior to March 16. Liquor licensees approved for the program have 90 days after the state’s emergency and disaster declarations are lifted to re-purchase the alcohol, according to a news release.

“Michigan’s 8,500 on-premises liquor licensees continue to make unprecedented sacrifices to help slow the spread of COVID-19 across our state,” Whitmer said in a statement. “This buy-back program will help our bars and restaurants critical to Michigan’s economy weather the storm through this challenging time in our history.”

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission is expected to meet Tuesday to take official action on the order. Licensees must request to participate using a form on the commission’s website no later than 5 p.m. Friday.

The move came shortly after Whitmer extended the ongoing ban on in-person dining rooms, bars, gyms and other places of public accommodation through April 30 to match the state’s ongoing stay-at-home order.

The decision extends an order initially signed last month that restricted in-person access to restaurants, bars, gyms, theaters, casinos, and other places of public accommodation.

Restaurants will continue to be allowed to fulfill carryout and delivery orders, and in-person dining remains off-limits.

Whitmer also extended two other orders signed last month.

One suspends state and local seasonal load restrictions on vehicles carrying essential supplies, equipment and personnel related to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, and the other allows the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, the Unemployment Insurance Agency and other administrative bodies to hold meetings by video conference or phone.

“By extending these Executive Orders, we ensure that our state continues to do all it can to suppress the spread of COVID-19 by limiting in-person interactions and services as much as possible right now, while also ensuring that vital goods and supplies get to the people who need them most as quickly and safely as possible,” Whitmer said in a statement.

CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

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