Michigan Fully Reopens, Scales Back COVID Restrictions

Michigan has joined the vast majority of states to fully reopen – doing so a little over a week ahead of schedule.

This means masks are no longer required in most settings.

A slim majority of adults in the state are fully vaccinated but the rate of shots administered has been sluggish recently, like the nationwide trend.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer initially made reopening plans contingent upon the success of vaccinations but she told CNN the state needed to be nimble when responding to the pandemic.

"Right now we've got an opportunity to drop a lot of these mandates that we've all had to abide by so people can feel the freedom that comes with 61% of our population getting vaccinated," Whitmer said. "When we get to 70% we'll all be much safer."