Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says Michigan ready for reopening of salons, barbershops, can't let down guard

DETROIT (FOX 2) - In less than a week, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's order to close salons, barbershops, nail salons, and other personal care services is lifted but she says now is not the time to let our guard down.

Gov. Whitmer spoke with FOX 2's Roop Raj on Tuesday and said that while it may seem like we're going back to normal, we're still far from it as COVID-19 is still here.

"The key is that we can't just drop our guard and resume life as it was. We need to be wearing our masks, we need to continue to take this as seriously and doing our part. I know that we have not been unanimous on a lot of things in the last few months but I hope we're all unanimous in the fact that none of us wants to have another stay safe stay home order and see the exponential spread and lose a lot more Michiganders to Covid-19 and that's why we have to learn to live with it until we have a vaccine. So that means wearing masks and not going out more than we need to," she said.

Gov. Whitmer's stay home order was lifted on June 1 and groups can gather but are still expected to maintain social distancing. That has proven to be impossible as protests in Michigan and throughout the country have broken out over the past week.

The Governor has come under scrutiny in recent days after marching in Highland Park where social distance was not observed, despite her mandate that people social distance in public places.

"I wore a mask the whole time, we were not able to observe the 6 feet apart but we had hand sanitizer, ample, people are handing it out and squirting it in each other's hands. I recognize that everyone of us has an important First Amendment right and a right to free speech and something I respect even if you're speaking against me and that's why we have not stood in the way of these protests," Gov. Whitmer said.

Calling the death of George Floyd 'visceral' and horrifying, she said she would not have done anything differently and thought it was important to support our communities of color. 

"Every American should be able to know that they're gonna be safe even if they get pulled over for an infraction. Frankly, a lot of people in our country don't (feel safe) right now. So we have to make a change when it comes to policing. I was glad during that march that was led by ecumenical leaders - Muslim leaders, Jewish leaders, Christian leaders but also the head of the state police marched as well. We have to all be at the table and solve this problem," she said.

Additionally, regarding COVID-19, the governor said while cases are leveling off and significantly lower than they were two months ago, it's still here and it's not gone. But now the state is a bit more prepared.

"We're doing more testing. People are smarter than ever, they're taking precautions and our every day lives. We have the ability to isolate and we know a lot more about cover 19 then we did 10 weeks ago but the fact of the matter is it is there's a novel virus. So, all of the epidemiologists are telling us that the fall could bring the second wave and that's my precisely why, as we think about re-engagement of our economy, or getting our kids back in classes, or what it looks like on college campuses, we have to be working the best data and making the best decisions we can, in the moment," she said.

Personal care business open up on Monday. Many of those businesses will have to figure out if the damage done in the last three months is something they can survive.