Grand
Traverse County COVID-19 Community Update — March 23, 2020
Yesterday,
the Grand Traverse County Health Department reported the first known positive case of COVID-19 in a Grand
Traverse County resident. Full details here. There are 40 additional tests pending in Grand Traverse
County and 49 tests have come back as negative.
Governor Whitmer issued the “Stay Home. Stay Safe” Executive Order No. 2020-21 today, which goes into effect at midnight for the next
three weeks. Stay home. Stay Safe. Save lives. Stay at home, except for
critical work and needs. People of all ages need to follow this and all
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, stay at
least six feet away from others if you must go out, and stay home if you are sick.
The
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services assembled an FAQ on COVID-19 and
how to protect yourself. If you suspect that you may have contracted the virus,
call your healthcare provider or the Michigan COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136,
seven days a week from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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 1,232 cases with 15 reported deaths as of today, March 23.
Numbers are updated daily at 2 pm. 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.
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.
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BASIC
PREVENTION MEASURES
The best
prevention for viruses like COVID-19, influenza, and the common cold is to:
- 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.
