Michigan Health Experts: Call To Reopen Restaurants Is 'Reckless'

COVID-19 cases are still surging in Michigan and healthcare experts urge restaurant owners to refrain from reopening too soon.

The caution comes after restaurant owners Joe and Rosalie Vicari — whose group owns more than two dozen restaurants, including Andiamo — wrote a letter to fellow restaurant owners urging them to resist state orders and reopen.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced restrictions that would remain in place for three weeks, beginning November 18. The restrictions, including barring restaurants from allowing indoor service, remain in effect through December 8.

“COVID-19 is an opportunistic pathogen always on the lookout for a human host, and prematurely reopening dining rooms while infections remain high is to serve people to the coronavirus on a silver platter,” Dr. Ijeoma Nnodim Opara said in a WXYZ story Tuesday (December 1). “All of us want people to get back to work and businesses to reopen responsibly, but Mr. Vicari’s call to reopen no matter the health risk is reckless. Data and evidence show that restaurants, bars and cafes are places with the highest likelihood for COVID-19 transmissions, and as physicians, we urge these businesses to help reduce infections by following expert scientific advice so we can all do our part to help keep people safer. Reopening restaurants while COVID-19 ravages Michigan and hospitals are running low on beds and staff will risk the lives of customers as well as countless servers, cooks, cashiers, dishwashers and their families.”

The Vicaris plan to hold an informational meeting on Thursday (December 3) for other restaurant officials in the area.

In the letter, dated November 24, Joe Vicari urged restaurant owners to “band together and fight this closure” as the United Group of Michigan Restaurant Owners.

“We understand that these protections against COVID-19 can add financial stress on already strained businesses and are sympathetic, however, these businesses will suffer more devastating damage if customers and staff continue to fall ill and possibly succumb to this unpredictable infection,” Dr. Opara said. “If we don’t get this pandemic under control we are committing to never giving ourselves the chance of an economic recovery. We urge that the federal government provide interim assistance to help small businesses stay afloat without having to recklessly reopen and endanger more people.”

Photo: Getty Images