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The operators of the Rock House/Mine Shaft in Houghton are scheduled to face an administrative law judge tomorrow to defend their defiance of Michigan’s current pandemic order.
The Michigan Liquor Control Commission suspended the Rock House liquor licenses last week, following reports that it hosted illegal gatherings.
After tomorrow’s hearing, the judge will determine whether the suspension should continue, and what fines and penalties should be imposed.
Meanwhile, a federal judge has upheld Michigan’s ban on indoor restaurant dining. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Maloney ruled yesterday that the state’s rationale that dining is more dangerous than other indoor activities because diners must remove their masks is “plausible.”
One week remains in the three-week emergency order, which was designed to slow down Michigan’s skyrocketing COVID-19 rate. Governor Gretchen Whitmer has indicated she and officials from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will wait until the last minute, to get as much data as possible, before deciding if the order will be extended.
After a bit of a slowdown over the past week, the numbers jolted upward again yesterday, with 6,955 new diagnoses confirmed across the state.
The total number of confirmed cases in Michigan since the pandemic began has now passed 373,000, with more than 9,400 deaths.
