News Photo by Darby Hinkley Trevor Phillips, of A Cut Above Landscaping, mows a lawn in Alpena on Friday after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lifted her ban on landscaping businesses, as long as social distancing is practiced.

ALPENA — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer may have eased some of the restrictions in her stay-at-home orders meant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but it could be some time in Northeastern Michigan before further reopening can be achieved.

On Friday, Whitmer extended her stay-at-home order until May 15 (it was to expire April 30), but allowed landscapers, lawn services, plant nurseries, and bike repair shops to reopen. She also announced golf courses could resume operations and motorized boats can be used once more for recreation.

Many Michiganders were hoping for more restrictions to be lifted as state-ordered closures pushed unemployment to levels not seen since the Great Depression. Whitmer said Wednesday Michigan needs widespread testing, low hospital occupancy rates, and a clear sign the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the disease, is slowing before the state might be safe to reopen.

Northeast Michigan posts mixed results on those fronts. According to state data, the region lags in testing and the availability of intensive-care beds at area hospitals. And the disease is on the upswing here, with dozens of cases recorded at MediLodge of Alpena.

Area medical and emergency management experts warn the Alpena area is likely to continue to see an increase in cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, making it hard to predict when all businesses will be able to safely open.

“Right now, there is a tug of war between being safe and opening up the economy,” said Denise Bryan, administrative health officer at District Health Department No. 4. “We have to find the right balance, because both are things we want to protect and any decision-maker is going to struggle to make these tough decisions.”

As of Friday, 79 Northeast Michigan residents had been confirmed infected: 60 Alpena County residents, nine Presque Isle County residents, six Montmorency County residents, and four Alcona County residents.

Bryan said she didn’t want to predict when the right time would be to reopen the economy on a large scale. She said testing only recently began to ramp up because of an earlier shortage of testing supplies.

Tests are being done more frequently and results returned sooner, Bryan said, which will help determine how far the virus has spread in the community and assist health officials’ efforts to track down people with whom infected residents have come in contact. Her department said in a statement on Friday officials had been able to determine 1% of cases in the department’s four-county service area originated through domestic travel, 10% from in-state travel to areas of high incidence, 71% from long-term care settings such as nursing homes, and 16% from community settings. The origin was unknown in 2% of cases.

More than 200 people who came in contact with infected residents had been traced as of Friday, the department said.

Bryan said drive-through coronavirus testing will be available in Cheboygan early next week and she is hopeful sites can be established in either Alcona or Alpena soon, which would provide critical data for future decision-making.

IT WILL BE DIFFERENT

Mary Beth Stutzman, president of the Alpena Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, is part of a task force that aims to help businesses get through the ever-changing coronavirus fallout and prepare for what’s beyond. The task force includes officials from Alpena County, Alpena, and Alpena Township and representatives from Lansing and Washington.

Stutzman said she’s pleased some businesses are now allowed to operate and is hopeful that, in the not-too-distant future, others will be able to, as well.

Some businesses wouldn’t be able to open at full capacity now, even if they were allowed, Stutzman said. She said owners have little cash because they’ve had to spend on rent, utilities, and other needs while bringing in zero revenue.

She suspects businesses will be given the all-clear to open in phases, and, once most are back in business, there will be a lot of changes to keep people safe.

“Our experiences are going to look and feel a little different, as businesses implement safety standards to protect employees and the public,” she said. “I think some businesses used the time to find opportunities for innovation, whether that be for in the store or online experiences.”

“It will be the new normal,” Bryan, of the Health Department, said. “I don’t think you will see salt-and-pepper shakers on tables and the plastic barriers you see now won’t be coming down. I think this new normal is going to change and impact our life in ways we didn’t expect.”

Alpena County Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Hall said the best way to ensure a smooth reopening is to take heed of orders and recommendations now. If people don’t adhere to what’s prescribed, it could cause more COVID-19 headaches and possibly lead to future closures and stay-at-home initiatives if the virus reemerges, he said.

“If we open too soon, there could be consequences,” he said. “If things don’t go right, we could all be back where we are now.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.