E – Michiganders find themselves about halfway through 2021 while watching COVID-19 cases steadily decline.
Reported cases have consistently decreased for several weeks, with a current seven-day average of 373 new cases and 30 deaths as of June 8. It is the lowest seven-day average since July 2020.
In May, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its mask guidelines so fully vaccinated individuals two weeks from their final coronavirus vaccine “no longer need to wear a mask or physical distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules or regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”
Even though numbers are declining and guidelines are loosened, remnants of the past year and a half linger.

Licensed fitness instructor Kristin Pfauth leads people in a Pound outdoor fitness routine, a cardio workout that implements “drumsticks” and quick arm movements, June 8 on The Blue Bridge in Grand Rapids, MI. City of Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation started 12 weeks of outdoor fitness classes to take advantage of the weather while the pandemic comes to an end, Pfauth said.