LANSING, MI — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday night issued an executive order temporarily suspending weight limits for trucks and other vehicles delivering cargo or people vital to combating the coronavirus.
Effective immediately and lasting until April 13, Michigan seasonal weight limits on state and local roads are suspended for the following freight or passengers being delivered in Michigan:
- Medical supplies and equipment for testing, diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus
- Supplies for community safety and sanitation, including masks gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants
- Food for “emergency restocking” of stores
- Equipment, supplies or people needed for temporary housing, quarantine and isolation facilities related to coronavirus
- People deisignated by federal, state or local government for medical isolation or quarantine
- People necessary for medical and emergency services
“This is a crisis unlike any we’ve dealt with before, and we must do everything we can to ensure our communities have the resources they need to get through it as safely as possible,” Whitmer said. “This order will help us deliver the supplies people need to slow the spread of coronavirus and protect the most people we can.
“It’s crucial that during this time, we continue to work together to protect our families and loved ones. I will keep working with leaders across state government to put the best interest of Michiganders first.”
Whitmer’s executive order calls for state and local road agencies to “work quickly to process permits that allow non-seasonal load restrictions to be exceeded for deliveries that meet immediate needs” and suspends “restrictions on the noise and timing of loading and deliveries” for those shipments.
PREVENTION TIPS
Michigan’s State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips:
What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases:
· Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.
For statewide and national information on the virus, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
· Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same.
· Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
· Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
· Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available.
· Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (computers, keyboards, desks, etc.).
· It’s not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.
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