Continued lockdown by Whitmer condemned by state politicians

Moments after Whitmer's announcement, the Michigan GOP released a statement of their own, condemning the measures as leaving many businesses still closed throughout the all-important holiday season. The new order will stay in effect though Jan. 15 of next year.

According to local outlet Click On Detroit, the chief issue regarding the new lockdown orders is that indoor dining in restaurants is still not allowed and temperatures are falling to the point that the expectation of outdoor dining is no longer feasible.

Laura Cox, the Republican Party Chair for Michigan, said:

"I am happy to see that Gov. Whitmer has decided to let our kids go back to school after coming under pressure from the Michigan Republican Party and others. However, I am disappointed that Gov. Whitmer continues to ignore the pleas of citizens across Michigan who are suffering personally and financially due to her shutdown policies. I condemn Gov. Whitmer’s decision to keep many small businesses closed, and hope she reverses this course of action so that Michigan families can have financial stability this holiday season."

Whitmer herself has stated:

"These past few weeks, Michiganders across the state stepped up and did their part to slow the spread of COVID-19, and because of our collective hard work, we are now able to begin the steps to carefully lift some of the protocols we have in place. I am encouraged by the progress we have made since early November, and will continue to monitor the data closely during and after the holidays."

To this date, neither Michigan nor any other government authority has produced evidence indicating that restaurants are hotspots for the transmission of the novel coronavirus. In fact, data appears to indicate the exact opposite.