Michigan business groups advise against 'shelter in place' order for state

LANSING — Three major Michigan business groups, including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, are asking Gov. Gretchen Whitmer not to issue a stay home order, sometimes known as "shelter in place," under which residents are told not to leave their residences except for essential purposes and all non-essential businesses are closed.

The Michigan Chamber, the state's most powerful business lobby, wrote Whitmer a letter Friday opposing such a move and issued a news release Saturday. Both the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Small Business Association of Michigan issued similar statements Saturday, arguing that too broad of an order could unnecessarily damage the economy.

The governor should not "at this time" close nearly all businesses, "while a select few are allowed to stay open," the Michigan Chamber said in a news release.

Other governors have issued such orders in recent days as a way to stop the spread of coronavirus, which has infected more than 700 people across Michigan, and killed at least five, as part of a worldwide pandemic.

“Not all Michigan businesses need to cease operations due to the threat of COVID-19," Chamber President and CEO Rich Studley said in a letter to Whitmer Friday.

"For example, many businesses provide essential services and goods to our citizens. We cannot risk a disruption in the supply chain or a break in the distribution cycle. In addition, many businesses have non-interruptible operations and those operations need to be protected as we move forward."

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He urged Whitmer to allow businesses to continue operating "unless there is a high public health risk to employees or the general public.” A broad shelter in place order, similar to those issued in other states, should only be used "as a last resort," Studley said.

"Quite frankly, we are concerned that an untimely or overly broad order would create unnecessary and long-term damage to Michigan’s economic health."

Whitmer, who has broad executive powers after declaring a state of emergency in Michigan March 10, has considered ordering all residents to stay home except for essential purposes, and telling all non-essential businesses to stop asking employees to come to work. But she said Friday she is "not there" yet.

Asked to comment on Studley's letter, Whitmer spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said it is being reviewed, but: "There are no plans for a statewide shutdown."

California, Illinois, and New York have already issued "shelter in place" type order, allowing only businesses considered essential, including hospitals, grocers, pharmacies, gas stations, and auto repair shops, to remain open.

Under the orders issued in other states, residents can still go outsid for a range of purposes, including to shop for groceries or drugs, walk the dog, or get exercise.

In a news release issued about 90 minutes after the one from the Michigan Chamber, Detroit Regional Chamber President and CEO Sandy Baruah said "many businesses deemed unessential are able to safely operate within social distancing guidelines."

Other businesses, if forced to shut down quickly, "could endure severe long-lasting economic losses that will hamper the recovery or could pose safety issues," Baruah said.

If public health authorities determine such an order is warranted, "we urge the state to allow ample time for business operations to safely cease and allow businesses that pose little risk, or provide important products and services, to remain open within public health guidelines," he said.

Brian Calley, president of the Small Business Association of Michigan, took a similar position.

"Identifying ‘essential services’ is not as easy as government officials may think," Calley said in a news release.

"Just keeping the food supply effectively operating under the best of circumstances requires thousands of economic activities that span the globe to work efficiently. It is not likely that the state could anticipate and exempt all the economic activities required to keep the shelves stocked."

The position taken by the business leaders drew criticism, including from public health officials.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who first linked the switch of Flint's drinking water to the Flint River to elevated lead levels in the blood of Flint children, said on Twitter that the last time Michigan put financial concerns ahead of public health, "it didn't go so well."

Studley, Baruah, and Calley all said they support the governor's actions in handling the crisis to date, which include closing the schools, bars, gyms, theaters and other public gathering spaces, limiting restaurants to carry out and delivery services, and halting evictions.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.