Whitmer allows laboratory research to resume

Lansing — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order Friday allowing laboratory research to resume under certain conditions as part of her six-phase plan for reopening Michigan's economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the governor's directive, labs must implement safeguards that include:

►Dedicated entry points and/or times 

►Daily screenings of anyone entering a worksite, with temperature checks if possible

►Suspending nonessential in-person visitors, including visiting scholars and undergraduate students

►Training workers how to use protective equipment 

►Distributing face masks

►Closing open work areas, cafeterias and conference rooms 

►Marking floors with tape for 6-foot distances

►Minimizing the use of shared lab equipment and shared lab tools and disinfecting them

     Providing disinfecting wipes and requiring workers to wipe down their workstations at least twice daily 

“The reopening of laboratory research in Michigan marks another step toward reopening our economy and getting Michiganders back to work,” Whitmer said. “This partial and incremental reopening will allow my public health team to evaluate the effects of allowing these activities to resume, assess the capacity of the health care system to respond adequately to any increases in infections, and prepare for any increases in patients.”