Michigan lifts COVID-19 restrictions today

Michigan is lifting all of its COVID-19 restrictions today.

That means both indoor and outdoor settings will return to 100 per cent capacity, and face masks will no longer be required.

However, individual businesses are permitted to require masks. Additionally, some public health measures, such as required COVID-19 reporting and testing, will remain in place in an effort to "'protect vulnerable populations in corrections, long-term care and agriculture," according to a press release from Governor Gretchen Whitmer's office.

Whitmer made the announcement last week. In a press release, she said: ''Thanks to the millions of Michiganders who rolled up their sleeves to get the safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine, we have been able to make these changes ahead of schedule. Our top priority going forward is utilizing the federal relief funding in a smart, sustainable way as we put Michigan back to work and jumpstart our economy."

Initially, the plan was for Michigan to fully reopen on July 1, but a continual drop in cases and rise in vaccines administered accelerated that timeline.

Whitmer's office reports nearly five million Michigan residents age 16+ have received their first dose.

While Michigan makes the return to normalcy, Ontario continues under Step One of its Roadmap to Reopening framework, allowing low-risk outdoor activities with small crowd, limited indoor settings, all with physical distancing and masking restrictions in place. Step One also permits indoor religious services, rites and ceremonies, including wedding and funeral services limited to 15 per cent capacity.

In Ontario, 2,972,700 people have been fully vaccinated, and 12,669,775 doses of vaccine have been administered as of Monday.

According to the Michigan government's website, the state has confirmed a total of 893,491 COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic.

Comparatively, Ontario has confirmed 542,468 cases as of June 20.

Closer to home and just across the river, Chippewa County Health Department has confirmed 2,504 cumulative positive cases of COVID-19, 2,430 of which are recovered. The health unit has reported 33 deaths. As of June 16, it has no cases hospitalized.

Algoma Public Health, on the other hand, has reported 398 total cases of the virus, one of which is currently hospitalized, and 395 of which are considered resolved. APH has confirmed six deaths related to the virus in the region.

Currently, the Canada-U.S. border is still closed to non-essential travel. The latest extension to the band is slated to expire on July 21.