By Michael Piwowarski
This is getting real, broh.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has followed the footsteps of Ohio, Illinois, California and other states by issuing a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order. Now all non-essential businesses have to close, and everyone who isn’t part of the “essential” workforce must stay at home until COVID-19 passes.
What are “essential” and “non-essential” businesses, exactly? In the state of Michigan, the non-essential list – the businesses that need to be closed until Whitmer’s order expires – mostly consists of:
- Dine-in restaurants and bars
- Movie theaters
- Gyms
- Nail/hair salons
- Museums
- Casinos
- Shopping malls
- Bowling alleys
- Sporting venues and racetracks
- Concert venues
You might be thinking: “Oh drat! I can’t get my hair done! I wanted to go shopping this weekend! When will I ever be able to go out with friends to a restaurant or theater? It’s the end of the world as we know it! WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!”
No, it’s not the end of the world. For starters, this is temporary. Second, this isn’t martial law, so it’s not like there are soldiers patrolling the streets and preventing us from leaving our house for necessities.
To that end, there’s a fairly long list of businesses that are considered “essential” in Michigan and are allowed to stay open:
- Grocery/food related businesses
- Grocery stores and supermarkets
- Restaurants offering take-out/delivery services
- Food banks
- Farmer’s markets
- Convenience stores
- Liquor stores
- Agriculture/food production
- Hardware and automotive stores
- Pharmacies
- Laundromats
- Hospitals and other healthcare operations
- Daycare
- Banks and credit unions
- Post offices
- Veterinary clinics
- Schools that facilitate distance learning
- Warehouses
- Public transportation, energy, water, wastewater, garbage collection and other public services
- Law enforcement and first responders
- News media and other communications/information technology
Keep in mind that the whole idea behind closing non-essential businesses is to prevent as many public gatherings as possible so as to slow the spread of coronavirus. So, you should only be heading out to, say, the grocery store when you really need to (and of course, you should follow the 6-feet social distancing rules as well).
“Oh no,” you might say. “What am I gonna do while I’m cooped up in the house for three weeks?”
Actually, there are plenty of things you can do. Let’s look at a few examples, shall we?
What you can’t do: go out to eat
Let’s face it. We are social in nature and we like going out for a bite with friends and family. Being out in public, enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying each other’s company, not having to cook; it’s all part of the experience. Unfortunately, it’s an experience we will have to give up for at least a few weeks.
What you can do: order take-out
Of course, you can still support local restaurants and bars, and you don’t have to miss out on the experience completely. If you don’t feel like cooking, or you’re just in the mood for a Lenten fish fry or that roadside bar’s famous half pound burger, go online and check if your favorite tavern is still open and providing take-out or delivery.
Chances are, they’ll have a Facebook page where they post their hours and an updated menu, plus a phone number for calling ahead. Services vary depending on the restaurant; some don’t do delivery while others may not let you walk inside the building to pick up your order, so you’ll want to check in advance.
What you can’t do: go on a shopping frenzy
Under Governor Whitmer’s order, shopping malls across the state are closing up shop until it’s safe to reopen. This means you won’t be able to go for a mall walk or load up on your favorites at Forever 21 or TJ Maxx, or hang out at the food court. There are also several retail chains that have temporarily closed, such as Barnes & Noble and Macy’s.
What you can do: buy groceries and medicine
You can still shop for necessities. If you’re running out of milk and butter, your local supermarket will still be open. If you want to get the ingredients for a cool recipe you found online, Meijer isn’t going anywhere. If your fridge is crying for ice cold beer, you’ll still be able to head down to the liquor store and get a case. You can also get medicine if you need it. If you have to go to the store, it’s a good idea to go alone and not with the whole family, so as to keep the risk of spreading (or receiving) infection as low as possible.
But please, and I mean P-L-E-A-S-E stop hoarding. Some of us need toilet paper and bread. The world is not collapsing. Aliens and zombies aren’t forcing us to hide underground. Seriously. The toilet paper phenomenon is getting old and it needs to end NOW.
What you can’t do: go to the movies
Even though the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order has mandated movie theaters to close, some already decided on their own to close beforehand, including AMC Theatres and NCG Cinemas. So, we’ve already been missing out on the greasy popcorn, cushy seats and big silver screens for some time now. For those of us that like going to see hot new titles with friends, that is a real bummer.
What you can do: watch movies at home
If you can Netflix and chill on your phone, you already have access to lots of movies and TV shows to binge watch. But if you were hoping to catch “Onward,” “Emma” or other new films playing in theaters, major studios have elected to make these available for digital release earlier than planned, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vulture.com put together a list of some notable new titles that are already available to rent/stream online, or will be very soon.
Or if you want to save bandwidth, maybe there are some DVDs and Blu Rays on your shelf that you haven’t watched in a while. And if you really need that greasy popcorn, well, your grocery store should have some Pop Secret in stock. You might even find a theater that is offering bags of popcorn for take-out.
What you can’t do: go to the gym
Yep, gyms have to close too. No more CrossFit, no more Planet Fitness, for the time being. Even Delta College’s fitness center is inaccessible. But this doesn’t mean you can’t stay in shape.
What you can do: exercise at home or outdoors
Even if you don’t have any of your own equipment, there are still lots of exercises you can do at home. The American Council on Exercise has 25 examples for you to check out.
But maybe, with all this COVID-19 madness going around, it’s a good idea to head outdoors and get some fresh air. Take a walk. Go for a bike ride. Jog for a bit. As long as you follow CDC guidelines and stay at least six feet away from others, you should be a-OK to use public parks and nature trails.
What you can’t do: visit friends and family in person
Unless you are caring for a loved one in an emergency, visiting with friends and family from outside the immediate household is generally frowned upon under Governor Whitmer’s mandate. It’s also frowned upon to have social gatherings, whether in a public or private setting. This means no picnics unless you’re being socially distant.
And there is a good reason for this. The whole idea of all this social distancing and staying at home is to slow the spread of coronavirus. Gatherings of people other than immediate family members is very risky, and has resulted in new infections. For instance, CNN recently reported that a Kentucky man was diagnosed with coronavirus after attending a so-called “coronavirus party.”
What you can do: give friends and family a call
Can’t infect people over the phone or camera, right? Right! With several business meetings happening via teleconference for the time being, it’s certainly not out of the question to call grandma and see how she’s doing. Or maybe hit up your friends on Facebook messenger if you want to talk. Have virtual “birthday parties” over video chat. It’s not ideal compared to person-to-person settings, but technology makes the lockdown a bit more bearable, at least.
