Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to lift remaining COVID-19 restrictions in coming days

LANSING, Mich. - The July 1 deadline when all remaining COVID-19 restrictions were to be lifted in Michigan is expected to be moved up to today or tomorrow. 

FOX 2's Tim Skubick reports that Michigan is only days away from seeing the rest of its coronavirus rules about masks, public gatherings, and businesses will be lifted.

They are only "crossing the t's and dotting the i's" for lifting the remaining restrictions, which include mask mandates for unvaccinated people and business capacity restrictions of 50%.

But during an interview with a TV station in Grand Rapids, the Democratic governor said people "should stay tuned" for updates closer than July 1.

Any evidence of the surprise surge that washed over the state in February and March has all but evaporated, with 61% of the state vaccinated and the number of new cases being reported falling to the low hundreds. 

On Wednesday, the state reported another 179 cases, which is a far cry from the 7,000 cases being reported only a few months ago.

Michigan has been in the upper echelon of declining case rates in the country in May and June.

The original plan was to lift rules after 70% of the state had gotten vaccinated. But the pace of people getting their first shot fell dramatically shortly after that goal was set, and it's unlikely the state reaches 70% before the end of the summer, at the pace it's currently tracking. 

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The revised plan was to lift most restrictions for vaccinated people by June 1 and then the rest of the rules by July 1. 

But a new timeline means rules could be completely lifted by the end of the week.