‘Time to play’: Michigan reopens 15 months after pandemic

Roughly 61% of residents ages 16 and older have received at least one shot. Michigan’s seven-day daily case average, 146, was last this low in March 2020.

“It’s time to play. It’s time to have fun again,” said Jordan Munsters, co-founder and president of High Caliber Karting and Entertainment, an indoor action park near Lansing where adults can race go-karts, throw axes and smash stuff to smithereens.

Business was booming at the fledgling facility before the virus struck, forcing its closure for nine months under state orders that — unlike in other places — were strictly enforced by the county. Munsters and his parents are personally liable for a business loan, and he worried about losing everything.

Now, Munsters is optimistic — particularly that people cooped up during the pandemic will want to reconnect with others and “experience joy.”

“I have very high hopes. I’m near 100% confidence that we’re going to see a booming experience economy — people who want to travel, people who want to do things,” he said, noting how people bought many items in the pandemic. “I think everybody has got a lot of stuff. I think people are looking for things to do.”

Gyms are among businesses hoping to rebound. They were closed for nearly six months after the virus hit and, when a second wave came last fall, were ordered to ban group classes. They have operated at limited capacity when open.