EAST LANSING, Mich. — At East Lansing City Council’s meeting this past Tuesday, March 9, City Council approved a policy resolution consenting to a new order from East Lansing Mayor Aaron Stephens that temporarily limits social gathering sizes and restricts lines outside of businesses within the East Lansing Downtown Development Authority (DDA) district on Saint Patrick’s Day.
Under the order, all outdoor social gatherings within the DDA are limited to no more than 15 people and outdoor lines for entry into businesses, bars and restaurants in the DDA district are temporarily prohibited. This order will be in effect from 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 through 2 a.m. on Thursday, March 18, 2021.
Individuals planning to visit a downtown East Lansing bar or restaurant on Saint Patrick’s Day should take advantage of the various line management applications and reservations systems that businesses are using to schedule their visit. Additionally, for social gatherings of 15 or fewer people in the downtown, all participants must wear face coverings and maintain six feet of physical distance from individuals outside of their household under the order.
“The intent of this order is to limit long lines and large groups of people gathering outside bars and restaurants in downtown East Lansing on Saint Patrick’s Day, which is something we have seen in past years,” said East Lansing Mayor Aaron Stephens. “With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in mind, we want to be able to break up areas where there are large congregations of people, especially if people are not wearing masks or properly distancing.”
Per the East Lansing City Code, East Lansing’s mayor is empowered to declare a City State of Emergency and issue orders, rules and regulations regarding the use of public property to protect life and property during the declared emergency. Mayor Stephens’ previously declared City State of Emergency and downtown mask order have been extended to May 16, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Under the mask order, masks are required in all outdoor public spaces in the DDA district.
A violation of this new order or the downtown mask order is a civil infraction punishable by a fine of up to $25.