Grand Traverse County COVID-19 Community Update — March 31, 2020
Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives remains the most important message for
residents throughout Northwest Michigan, as the number of COVID-19 cases
continues to rise. Everyone should stay home, avoid all non-essential travel,
and practice social distancing when they must go out. The Grand Traverse County
Health Department is also requesting all residents and visitors coming into
Grand Traverse County from downstate or other areas around the state with high
community transmission rates remain in self-quarantine for 14 days in order to
reduce transmission in Northern Michigan. As of this morning, Grand Traverse
County remains at 7 positive cases with no new cases reported.
The Grand Traverse County Health Department has developed a toolkit for local
businesses and organizations that are considered essential services. The toolkit provides
suggested guidelines for employers, a flowchart for potential COVID-19
exposure, and cleaning guidelines for facilities to follow to help prevent
transmission or for after a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 exposure.
Munson Healthcare is reporting COVID-19
testing and results for each of its hospitals throughout the region. Numbers
are listed by facility, but are not broken out by county of residence. A
Kalkaska County male resident in his 80s died yesterday at Munson Medical
Center in Traverse City and is the first reported death at that facility.
As of 10 a.m. Monday, March 30, Michigan reported 6,498 cases of COVID-19,
with 184 deaths. Numbers are updated daily at 3 p.m. with results reported by
10 a.m. each day. Many have recovered from COVID-19. Recovery numbers are
difficult to determine because they lag behind real-time and don’t include
unreported mild cases.
Senator Gary Peters joined the Joint Operations Center meeting
this morning to provide an update on the CARES Act, which prioritizes financial
assistance to address the public health crisis and to support American
families. His current priority is to find gaps that have not yet been
addressed, which could be included in a fourth bill in the coming weeks. He’s
also focused, as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, on getting PPE
from FEMA to Michigan facilities in high-infected areas.
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 are immediately posted
throughout the day along with other updates from the Joint Operations Center
(JOC) members. Residents are encouraged to direct their neighbors to these
trusted information resources. The JOC is also sharing updates with traditional
media for people who do not have access to digital information.
Please note, anyone who does not have a physician or insurance may
call the Munson COVID-19 hotline number 231-935-0951, press 5 to access the
option 7 days a week from 7 am – 7 pm if they are symptomatic and seeking
testing. Testing is based upon criteria set by the state health
department.
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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
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.
