Gatherings of more than 250 people are prohibited in Michigan under an executive order signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday.

The order goes into effect 5 p.m. on Friday, March 13, and lifts on Sunday, April 5 at 5:00 p.m. It applies to events and gatherings in shared spaces like rooms, halls, cafeterias, auditoriums, theaters and galleries.

The order allows for exceptions for the purpose of industrial or manufacturing work, mass transit or the purchase of groceries or consumer goods.

“This is about protecting the most people we can from the spread of coronavirus,” Whitmer said.

“My administration will continue to do everything we can to mitigate the spread, and to ensure our children, families, and businesses have the support they need during this time. We are going to get through this, but we must be flexible and take care of each other.”

Violations of the order are a misdemeanor.

But a line in the order also notes “This prohibition does not abridge protections guaranteed by the state or federal constitution under these emergency circumstances.”

The move comes after Whitmer closed all K-12 school buildings March 16 - April 5. They are slated to re-open on April 6.

There are now 12 presumptive positive cases of coronavirus in the state. In a press conference late Thursday, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Deputy for Health and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said she expects there are more people with cases and expects there to be community transmission of the virus.

"Prohibiting large assemblages is the smart thing to do to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Khaldun said in a press release.

Coronavirus symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus. They include fever, cough and shortness of breath. For most, the symptoms are mild, but it poses a serious danger to others.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus has sickened 1,215 people and resulted in 36 deaths, nationally.

Some of the state’s planned large events, including concerts and sports, had already announced cancellations.

Governors in other states, including Oregon, New York and Ohio have also banned large gatherings.

PREVENTION TIPS

Michigan’s State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips:

What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases:

For statewide and national information on the virus, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

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