WEST MICHIGAN. — As indoor dining resumes across the state, medical experts are urging caution in order to avoid another spike in cases.
“We're happy to see that our numbers have got to the point where we are lower every day,” Brian Hartl, epidemiology supervisor for the Kent County Health Department, said Monday.
But, as Hartl added, “we know that COVID is not over, it's going to be with us for a while.”
The ban on indoor dining in Michigan was lifted Monday, though restaurants are limited to 25% capacity and must close by 10:00pm. You must also wear a mask inside unless you are seated and eating.
“We obviously still recommend that people wear a mask in the restaurants when they're in common spaces... if they're going to the bathroom, or in the lobbies, and those areas, pay attention to hand hygiene,” Hartl said.
As Dr James Forshee, Chief Medical Officer at Priority Health, said, COVID is still a very real risk.
“The prevalence and the frequency is very high right now," Dr Forshee said.
"It's just that we've learned things that make a difference, and if we practice those very diligently, we can begin to get back out.”
Hartl says it is also still important to be careful about who we are with when dining out.
He says the "safest bet when you're going to a restaurant is to go out with members of your own household.”
If we continue to follow public health guidelines, these medical experts believe that restrictions too will continue to be relaxed.