For disclosure I don't live in that area anymore but a couple hours away, so some of what I am saying is anecdotal from what I have heard in the new and from friends etc.
1) The Stay at Home orders issues by the governor are somewhat ambiguous and people don't understand what is essential and what isn't. They keep trying to clarify them every other day or so. Example is even though they say stay at home, outdoor activities are allowed, so city and state parks were open etc. Well, the intent was for people to walk their dogs, get some fresh air and such.
People foolishly decided that all park activities were then OK, so the playgrounds were full, people were playing basketball, and having picnics etc. Golf was first allowed for a week and then it was disallowed, the Detroit mayor just ordered the basketball hoops taken down because people won't use common sense. Kids are running around in groups like it is summer vacation and guys are riding their motorcycles all over. So much for Stay at Home.
Yesterday, the State Police interpreted the governor's order to mean that pleasure boating wasn't essential and isn't allowed. Gov. Whitmer's office than said within hours that the police were wrong and it was permitted. If the State Police can't even understand the executive orders, how is the general populace expected to follow them?
2) The list of businesses that had to close down and those who stay open because they are considered "essential" don't always seem to make sense IMO. The problem was that once a business was called essential, anything in that business becomes allowable.
For example, auto repair shops are essential in case people needed their cars repaired for groceries or medical emergencies. Doesn't mean going to Jiffy Lube for an oil change is essential, but they fell into the same category. Because repair shops are essential, so are auto parts stores. So now you have guys running in and out buying stuff like waxes and polishes and doing routine maintenance because they have nothing else to do. People were taking their whole families into the grocery stores etc. Just a total lack of common sense.
The big home improvement stores were called essential in case someone had a plumbing emergency or something catastrophic happen in their home. So people are taking multiple trips a day shopping in droves & buying stuff like flats of petunias, lawn mowers, light fixtures, lumber and working on all these remodeling projects because they have the time.
3) Finally, some of the decisions on what must close seems ridiculous to me. Veterinarians were told to close unless it was a life threatening emergency, yet people are lined up buying lottery tickets and the pot shops are open doing business as usual. 4 months ago, pot was illegal, and now it is essential. Go figure
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