The following press release was issued by Sanilac County Health Department and Sanilac County Emergency Management officials as concern mounts over the rapid increase of cases sweeping through the area.
(SANILAC COUNTY) – COVID19 cases are rapidly increasing across Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties along with the entire State of MI.
Illnesses are increasing at a faster rate than at any other time during this pandemic. More and more COVID19 infected people are requiring hospitalization.
This is putting nursing homes, adult foster care homes, homes for the aged, and hospitals at risk of being
overwhelmed and unable to protect those that they care for.
Schools are being asked to review the data to determine how best to keep the students and staff safe. Due to the rapid spreading of this virus, public health and the other health care providers in our counties are requesting your assistance in stopping the spread of COVID-19 by adhering to the following recommendations.
If you receive a positive COVID-19 test result, isolate for a minimum of 10 days from the start of your symptom(s) or your positive test date if you didn’t have symptoms. Notify your close contacts that they may have been exposed and encourage them to get tested.
If someone is awaiting test results, they must stay home until the results are in. A close contact is someone who has been within six feet (about two arms’ length) of an infected person for at least 15 minutes in 24 hours including brief encounters (it does not need to
be consecutive minutes) with or without a face covering.
Close contacts should quarantine—generally 14 days—since a person can be infectious before showing any symptoms. Isolation and quarantine mean staying home from work, school, gatherings, extracurricular activities and any other public place other than when seeking medical care.
Identifying positive cases and contact tracing are proven methods to help slow the spread of an epidemic of respiratory disease. Contact tracing helps public health workers find people who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and may be infected with the virus.
Some people infected with COVID-19 can infect others, even when they are not showing symptoms of the disease. People who have been exposed to COVID-19 need to monitor themselves for symptoms, get tested and keep from exposing their friends, coworkers and families.
Due to the overwhelming number of COVID-19 cases across the state, there may be a
delay in contacting someone who tests positive for the virus or has been in close contact
to someone who has COVID-19. Please take the call or return messages if someone
contacts you about testing positive or possibly being exposed to COVID-19.
Stay at least 6 feet away from others, whenever possible. This is very important in
preventing the spread of COVID-19: stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other
people who are not from your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces
Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others. This helps reduce the risk
of spread both by close contact and by airborne transmission.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use a
hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Avoid crowded indoor spaces and ensure indoor spaces are properly ventilated by
bringing in outdoor air as much as possible. In general, being outdoors and in spaces with
good ventilation reduces the risk of exposure to infectious respiratory droplets.
Stay home and isolate from others when sick or have symptoms of COVID 19. See full
list of symptoms at www.Michigan.gov/Coronavirus
Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces. All workplaces, gathering
places such as restaurants, places of worship, and schools need to step up their cleaning
and disinfectant practices.
Refrain from attending holiday gatherings and events with people not associated with
your household members. This includes bowling leagues, billiard leagues, sports
banquets, hosting or attending team dinners, holiday gatherings with friends and family
not currently living in your home. Consider more take out options and less in person
dining experiences at this time.
Testing is important in helping us understand the scope of community-wide spread and
making data-informed decisions on how to best protect the community. If you
have COVID-like symptoms and/or have been in close contact with someone infected
with the new coronavirus please get tested and self-quarantine for 14 days unless directed
otherwise by your healthcare provider or the Health Department.
Pandemics can be stressful, especially when you are staying away from others. During
this time, it is important to maintain social connections and care for your mental health.
Now is the time to take personal responsibility and follow the advice of your local health care
providers to reduce the spread of this infection. We cannot continue to maintain the community’s
health with this rapid rate of infection.
This Health Advisory is supported by the following partners: Wil Morris MA/LLP Dawn Cubitt, Director Chief Executive Officer Sanilac County Central Dispatch Sanilac Community Mental Health Steve Barnett, DHA, CRNA, FACHE Lea Lentz, BS, NRP, IC
President/CEO Executive Director McKenzie Health System Sanilac Medical Control Authority Hilda L. Hebberd RN, BSN, MSN Sheriff Biniecki Chief Nursing Officer Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office Deckerville Community Hospital/ Marlette Regional Hospital Tara Griffith, MBA Sanilac County Adinistrator Sara Redman, BBA Foundation & Marketing Manager Marlette Regional Hospital
Todd Hillman, Emergency Management Director Sanilac County.
