State Rep. Greg Markkanen today said retail shops, restaurants and bars in the Upper Peninsula are ready to begin reopening to customers this week.

Markkanen, of Hancock, said many small bars and restaurants are struggling to remain open after being restricted to take-out only service by the governor’s executive orders since March 16. Retail shops are also suffering.

“I have been pushing the governor’s office to take a regional approach that allows the Upper Peninsula – where we have seen very few cases of COVID-19 – to reopen more quickly,” Markkanen said. “There have been less than 10 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the 110th House District since these business closures have started. There is simply no justification for our communities to continue living under the same harsh restrictions as people in Detroit, where there have been more than 10,000 confirmed cases.”

Markkanen noted that restaurants and bars will be allowed to serve customers while abiding by safety protocols that include providing personal protective equipment to workers, placing tables at least 6 feet apart and operating at no more than 50 percent of their normal seating capacity. Local municipalities will have the authority to place additional limitations on businesses in their jurisdictions, if they so choose.

“I’m glad the governor is starting to listen to the concerns I have brought her on behalf of U.P. families and workers,” Markkanen said. “We’re finally beginning to move in the right direction with these changes, and I’m hopeful we can take even more steps to return to normal life if we continue to see low numbers of cases in the coming weeks.”

Rep. Markkanen and Sen. Ed McBroom worked with the governor’s office to establish a drive-through testing site, as well as a test processing lab at Michigan Technological University. Drive-through testing services are available at the Gates Tennis Center on campus. The site is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“Rather than sending tests out to be processed down state, we’re able to process them right here in the U.P. – offering quick results for anyone who might be infected,” Markkanen said.

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