LANSING — Starting Saturday, Michiganders who are outdoors will no longer need to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. While indoors, fully vaccinated Michiganders will no longer need to wear a mask, except where required by federal, state or local regulations or business guidance.

Residents who are not vaccinated, or have not completed their vaccinations, must continue to wear a mask or face covering to protect themselves and others. After July 1, the broad indoor mask mandate will expire.

Governor Whitmer announced today that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is updating the Gatherings and Mask Order to align with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest guidance on face coverings. The new order will effect on Saturday, May 15 at 9 a.m.

On Thursday, the CDC released updated guidance recommending “fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

Republicans in Michigan, who have historically fought Whitmer on COVID-19 related mandates, welcomed the news.

“The new guidance from the CDC and the state’s loosening of the mask mandate in a safe way is very welcome to our communities — we are excited to get back to normal,” Mayor Don Gerrie (R-Sault Ste Marie) said. “We appreciate the partnership efforts throughout our state and in our local communities in following the COVID-safe guidelines and making sure vaccinations are readily accessible to residents in a fast and efficient manner. I am thankful every day for the amazing health care and public safety professionals we have in Michigan.”

To date, Michigan has administered 7,875,785 vaccines. According to CDC data, 55.6 percent of Michiganders ages 16 and older have received at least one dose, with more than 43 percent of Michiganders ages 16 and older being fully vaccinated. The state has also administered the vaccine to 927 Michiganders between the ages of 12- to 15-years-old.

“For more than a year, we’ve been following the best data and science to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives,” Whitmer said. “The vast majority of us have trusted the scientists and experts to keep us safe during the pandemic, and it has worked.

“With millions of Michiganders fully vaccinated, we can now safely and confidently take the next step to get back to normal. The message is clear: Vaccines work to protect you and your loved ones. If you have not yet received your vaccine, now is the time to sign up. This pandemic has been one of the toughest challenges of our lifetimes, but we came together as a state to persevere. We have all been working incredibly hard toward getting back to some sense of normalcy and today’s news makes all of that work worthwhile.”