Here are the 6 steps in Gov. Whitmer's MI Safe Start Plan

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(FOX 2) - On Thursday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer rolled out the plan to re-engage Michigan's economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan includes six phases and it's called the MI Safe Start Plan.

UNCONTROLLED GROWTH: The increasing number of new cases every day, overwhelming our health systems.
PERSISTENT SPREAD: We continue to see high case levels with concern about health system capacity.
FLATTENING: The epidemic is no longer increasing and the health-system's capacity is sufficient for current needs.
IMPROVING: Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are clearly declining.
CONTAINING: Continued case and death rate improvements, with outbreaks quickly contained.
POST-PANDEMIC: Community spread not expected to return.

Gov. Whitmer said we are currently in Phase 3, the flattening phase - and that's why also she extended the Stay Home Stay Safe order through May 28 on Thursday. Though, this new executive order allows manufacturing workers, including employees at the Big 3 automakers, to return to work on Monday, May 11.

"We have to reengage like a dial, not a switch that goes on or off but a dial we can turn, and we can continue to turn the intensify up if everyone does their part. We have to remember the threat of a second wave is very real," she said.

So meanwhile, as testing continues to increase across the state and cases, hospitalizations and deaths are clearly declining, we will progress into Phase 4.

Whitmer says that phase will include the opening of additional lower-risk businesses with strict safety measures such as retail, with capacity limits, and offices, though telework will be required if possible.

Once we move into Phase 5, that will allow increased size gatherings and for most businesses to reopen with strict mitigation measures. This includes restaurants, bars, schools and travel.

And the final phase, Phase 6, is when all businesses can safely reopen and events and gatherings of all sizes can occur, though likely with new safety guidelines and procedures. Social distancing rules will also relax in this phase.

"[Phase 6] is going to be a while, I want to be very clear about that. Post-pandemic is when we have a vaccine or some sort of a cure. But the good news is we're starting to move forward," Whitmer said at her press conference Thursday.

In the meantime, in order to continue moving Michigan forward in the plan, Gov. Whitmer encourages everyone to continue doing the 3 Ws: wear a mask, wait 6 feet apart from each other and wash your hands.

She also explained what could cause us to move backward in the process: reverting to old socialization practices and taking unnecessary risks.

"Letting our guard down now squanders all the hard work we've put in to this date. So as we proceed all the decisions we've made are to lower the possibility of that second wave," she said.

The state's medical director Dr. Joneigh Khaldun then continued to say the daily number reports are continuing to bring good news. The seven-day average is down 15% right now from the past week.

She said we're also seeing a decline in cases in southeast Michigan and on the western side of the state, which are areas of concern.

The percentage of those testing positive is also declining significantly. Dr. Khaldun said about 1 in 5 tests used to come back positive, but in recent weeks that has dropped to about 1 in 10.

Some areas are still seeing small outbreaks so aggressive testing will continue to be a priority across the state. The State's goal is to get to 15,000 tests per day.

You can see additional details on each phase of the MI Safe Start Plan below, or by clicking here.

Phase 1: Uncontrolled Growth

The number of daily new cases increases by a constant rate every day, which leads to an increasingly accelerating case curve. If a community remains in this phase for an extended period of time, healthcare facilities could quickly be overwhelmed.

Because unmitigated behavior contributes to the exponential growth, communities can slow the growth rate and exit this phase by introducing social distancing practices and wearing masks when in public.

Business and organizations only necessary to protect or sustain life will be permitted:

Retail: Limited to grocery stores and other critical retail (e.g., pharmacies)
Public Transportation: Permitted
Restaurants & Bars: Available for take-out, delivery and drive-through only
Manufacturing: Critical manufacturing only
Construction: Only permitted for critical infrastructure projects
Food & Agriculture: Permitted
Offices: Closed to all non-critical workers during this phase
Education & Child Care: Remote learning in K-12 and higher education, child care for critical workers

Personal and social:

Social Distancing: In place, maintain a six-foot distance from others when outdoors / in public
Face coverings: Required
Gatherings: Not permitted
Outdoor Recreation: Walking, hiking, biking permitted
Quarantine/Isolation: Individuals who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 must isolate, and any individual with a known exposure must quarantine, according to CDC and public health guidance
At-risk populations: All at-risk individuals should continue to shelter in place. Members of households with at-risk residents should be aware that by returning to work or other environments where distancing is not possible, they could carry the virus back home. Precautions should be taken to isolate from at-risk residents. Businesses should strongly consider special accommodations for personnel who are members of an at-risk population

Phase 2: Persistent Spread

This is when the epidemic is still expanding in the community. There are still high case levels, but the growth rate might gradually decrease. Within this phase, the epidemic is widespread in a community and the source of infection is more difficult to trace.

Even though the growth rate of new cases is decreasing, high volumes of infected individuals mean that health systems could become overwhelmed, leading to higher mortality rates. During this phase, it is important to maintain social distancing practices in order to slow the spread to a level that health systems can handle as they are continuing to build capacity.

Businesses and organizations only necessary to protect or sustain life will be permitted, as is allowed in Phase 1.

Personal and social restraints also are the same as Phase 1, though allow for additional low-risk outdoor recreation such as golfing and boating.

Phase 3: Flattening

Michigan has entered this phase when new cases and deaths reported each day are consistent over a length of time. This happens when communities begin using social distancing so the rate of transmission has fallen to levels health officials can manage. Because new cases aren't consistently rising, health systems aren't overwhelmed. Testing and contact tracing are ramped up across the state to prevent someone from spreading the virus unchecked.

Non-critical businesses that pose a lower risk of infection are able to open with increased safety measures during this phase.

Under phase 3, the following business categories would have to follow strict safety measures:

Retail: Limited to grocery stores and other critical retail (e.g., pharmacies), plus curbside or delivery for nonessential retail
Public Transportation: Permitted
Restaurants & Bars: Available for take-out, delivery and drive-through only
Manufacturing: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines
Construction: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines
Food & Agriculture: Permitted
Offices: Closed to all non-critical workers
Education & Child Care: Remote learning in K-12 and higher education, child care for critical workers and anyone resuming work activities
Outdoor work: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines

Under phase 3, the following personal and social guidelines would need to be followed:

Social Distancing: In place, maintain a six-foot distance from others when outdoors / in public
Face coverings: Required
Gatherings: Not permitted
Outdoor Recreation: Walking, hiking, biking, golfing, boating permitted
Quarantine/Isolation: Individuals who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 must isolate, and any individual with a known exposure must quarantine, according to CDC and public health guidance
At-risk populations: All at-risk individuals should continue to shelter in place. Members of households with at-risk residents should be aware that by returning to work or other environments where distancing is not possible, they could carry the virus back home. Precautions should be taken to isolate from at-risk residents. Businesses should strongly consider special accommodations for personnel who are members of an at-risk population

Phase 4: Improving

This phase occurs when the number of new cases and deaths has fallen for a period of time, but overall case levels are still high. When in the Improving phase, most new outbreaks are quickly identified, traced, and contained due to robust testing infrastructure and rapid contact tracing. Health system capacity can typically handle these new outbreaks, and therefore case fatality rate does not rise above typical levels. Though a community might be in a declining phase, the overall number of infected individuals still indicates the need for distancing to stop transmission and move to the next phase.

Businesses and organizations

Most businesses and organizations will be open throughout this phase under strict safety measures. Under phase 4, the following business categories would have to follow strict safety measures:

Retail: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines (e.g., limited capacity)
Public Transportation: Permitted
Restaurants & Bars: Available for take-out, delivery and drive-through only
Manufacturing: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines
Construction: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines
Food & Agriculture: Permitted
Offices: Open (remote work still required where feasible)
Education: Remote learning in K-12 and higher education, summer programs in small groups
Outdoor work: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines

Under phase 4, the following personal and social guidelines would need to be followed:

Social Distancing: In place, maintain a six-foot distance from others when outdoors / in public
Face coverings: Required
Gatherings: Limited to small groups with social distancing
Outdoor Recreation: Walking, hiking, biking, golfing, boating permitted. Activities permitted in small groups with social distancing
Quarantine/Isolation: Individuals who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 must isolate, and any individual with a known exposure must quarantine, according to CDC and public health guidance
At-risk populations: All at-risk individuals should continue to shelter in place. Members of households with at-risk residents should be aware that by returning to work or other environments where distancing is not possible, they could carry the virus back home. Precautions should be taken to isolate from at-risk residents. Businesses should strongly consider special accommodations for personnel who are members of an at-risk population

Phase 5: Containing

Michigan would only enter Phase 5 of the plan, Containing, when new cases and deaths are still decreasing for an additional period of time. In this phase, infection from members of the community is less common and positivity rates fall much lower than the previous four phases. Rapid investigation, contact tracing, and containment strategies would cause new cases to continue to fall. If distancing and other risk mitigation efforts are not continued, infections could grow because a permanent solution has not been found.

Under phase 5, the following business categories would have to follow strict safety measures:

Retail: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines (e.g., limited capacity)
Public Transportation: Permitted
Restaurants & Bars: Available for dine-in with additional safety measures and guidelines
Manufacturing: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines
Construction: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines
Food & Agriculture: Permitted
Offices: Open with additional safety measures and guidelines
Education: Live instruction in K-12 and higher education
Outdoor work: Permitted with additional safety measures and guidelines

Under phase 5, the following personal and social guidelines would need to be followed:

Social Distancing: In place, maintain a six-foot distance from other when outdoors / in public
Face coverings: Required wherever possible
Gatherings: Increased but still limited-sized groups with social distancing
Outdoor Recreation: All outdoor recreation allowed
Quarantine/Isolation: Individuals who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 must isolate, and any individual with a known exposure must quarantine, according to CDC and public health guidance
At-risk populations: All at-risk individuals should continue to shelter in place. Members of households with at-risk residents should be aware that by returning to work or other environments where distancing is not possible, they could carry the virus back home. Precautions should be taken to isolate from at-risk residents. Businesses should strongly consider special accommodations for personnel who are members of an at-risk population

Phase 6: Post-Pandemic

Michigan would reach post-pandemic phase only when community spread is not expected to return because of sufficient community immunity and availability of treatment. Because of this, infected individuals falls to nearly zero and the community does not typically expect this virus to return.

Under phase 6, all businesses and organizations would be open but with some lasting safety requirements.

Personal and social guidelines would have minimal or no lasting limitations.

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