DETROIT (The Detroit News) — The closure of doctor’s offices around Michigan during the coronavirus pandemic has spurred a statewide surge in the embrace of telemedicine, a practice that allows doctors to treat patients remotely by phone or computer, officials said.

Hospitals and doctors have moved quickly to adopt the technology after government agencies and lawmakers removed regulatory obstacles starting in early March.

The Detroit News reports that experts say the telemedicine technology has advanced and spread quickly in a matter of weeks amid Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-home, stay-safe executive order.