(WXYZ) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has ordered JoAnn Fabrics stores to close during the stay-at-home order, denying their request to stay open.

The company had asked the AG's office to confirm on-site operations are necessary to sustain and protect lives because many hospitals and volunteers are turning to the company for raw materials to make face masks, face shields, scrubs and gowns.

According to the AG's office, the company can provide these goods through online sales and by shipping them from stores or distribution centers.

“I can appreciate the desire of businesses that want to remain open and provide their customers with the same products and services they have come to expect from these retailers, but there must be common sense protections in place during this global health emergency,” Nessel said in a release. “Employees should be permitted to work from home whenever possible and businesses that are not necessary to sustaining or protecting life should comply with the order by temporarily suspending in-person operations. Reducing person-to-person contact can help slow the spread of COVID-19, and we all need to do our part.”

After receiving a letter from the office, the AG said they have closed stores.

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