Grand Traverse County COVID-19 Community Update — March 22, 2020
The Grand Traverse County Health Department has reported the first known positive case of COVID-19 in a Grand Traverse County resident. The adult male in his twenties with a history of international travel is recovering at his home. A full Health Department team is working to identify and contact anyone potentially exposed. At this time, the public health investigation has no evidence of risk for community transmission from this individual. The Health Department will maintain regular contact and ensure his needs are met during home isolation. Full details here.
Now that there is a known case of COVID-19 in Grand Traverse County and many test results are pending from the State Laboratory, social distancing is more important than ever. People of all ages need to follow the Executive Orders to stay home as much as possible and avoid any non-essential travel in the community. Wash your hands often, don’t touch your face, and stay home if you are sick.
For the most up-to-the-minute, factual information, visit Grand Traverse County’s official website gtcountycovid19.com and Facebook page. All critical health updates come from our community’s experts at the Grand Traverse County Health Department and Munson Healthcare and are immediately posted throughout the day along with other updates from Joint Operations Center (JOC) members. Residents are encouraged to direct their neighbors to these best information resources. The JOC is also sharing updates with traditional media for people who do not have access to digital information. Popular sections of the website include food, employment and business resources.
Michigan reported 787 cases with 8 reported deaths as of yesterday, March 21. Numbers are updated daily at 2pm. Many have also recovered from COVID-19. Recovery numbers are difficult to determine because they lag behind real time and don’t include unreported mild cases.
Traverse City’s Monday, March 21 City Commission meeting at 7 pm will be held virtually on Zoom. The public can call in to the meeting at 312-626-6799. The Grand Traverse County/Traverse City Government Center remains closed to the public at this time.
The Grand Traverse County Joint Operations Center meets daily to coordinate efforts and communication on the COVID-19 pandemic. Members include key community partners from health, government, first responder, education, social service and business sectors.
BASIC PREVENTION
MEASURES
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20
seconds. If soap and water are unavailable, use hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed
hands.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve
when coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
- If you are sick, stay home and avoid contact with
others.
- Stay at least six feet away from others when in a
public setting.
- Replace handshakes with a friendly wave from 6 feet
away.
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at gtchd.org, at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus, and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
