April 2, 2020 Updates

Latest COVID-19 Update Videos I Public Health | County Operations & Spanish
Media Contact: Kristina Wieghmink, OCDPH public information officer
kwieghmink@miottawa.org I mobile/text 616-510-8523

Community Resources List English | Spanish

Ottawa County COVID-19 Statistics

As of April 2, 2020, Ottawa County has 34 positive COVID-19 cases, zero deaths and approximately 24% of positive cases have been hospitalized. Data are updated daily by 4 pm at miOttawa.org/miHealth. 

Since there is evidence of COVID-19 community spread, every location should be considered a potential risk. People of any age, even those who do not have any symptoms, could be a carrier of the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. We all must do our part and Stay Home – Stay Safe – Save Lives. To slow the spread of the virus, we must adhere to social distancing and exceptional hygiene to minimize exposure and break the chain of infection.

6 Steps to Prevent COVID-19  I  Handwashing Guide I How to Protect Yourself Guide

CDC - What to do if you are sick  I  MDHHS Exposure Guide

Protect Yourself & Your Loved Ones

Cleaning 

• Clean surfaces using soap and water.
• Practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.
• High touch surfaces include: tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks.

Disinfecting

• Clean the area or item with soap and water or another detergent if it is dirty.
  Then, use a household disinfectant.
  
  
• Follow the disinfectant instructions on the label to ensure safe and effective use of the product. Use an FDA-approved disinfectant. Many products recommend:
  • Keeping the surface wet for a period of time (see the product label).
  • Taking precautions such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.
    
    
• Diluted household bleach solutions may also be used, if appropriate, for the surface. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
  
  
  • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.
  • Leave the solution on the surface for at least 1 minute.
  • To make a bleach solution, mix: 5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) bleach per gallon of water OR 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
    
    
• Alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol may also an alternative.

Wash Your Hands!

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Always wash immediately after removing gloves and after contact with a sick person.
  
  
• Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not readily available and hands are not visibly dirty, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water.
  
  
• Additional key times to clean hands include:
  • After blowing one’s nose, coughing or sneezing.
  • After using the restroom.
  • Before eating or preparing food.
  • After contact with animals or pets.
  • Before and after providing routine care for another person who needs assistance.
    
    
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

More information about cleaning and disinfecting
your home or facility at cdc.gov/covid19

Use the hashtag #OttawaStaysHome on all your social media platforms and tell us why you stay home and what you’re doing to occupy the time. The county will share its favorite posts, images and videos. Be creative! Visit Facebook.com/OttawaCounty. 

Click the featured image to share.

A message from the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Office
and the Cultural Intelligence Committee of Ottawa County

Public health emergencies, such as COVID-19, have proven to be stressful times for people and communities. Fear, panic and anxiety that surrounds COVID-19 can lead to stigma towards people and places. Stigma and discrimination can occur when people associate COVID-19 with a certain nationality or population. COVID-19 stigma hurts everyone and does not exclude anyone based on race, gender, ethnicity, age or religion. COVID-19 can also have emotional and mental health effects on a stigmatized group and the communities that they reside in. Learn more at the Center for Disease and Control and Prevention

In Ottawa County (OC), we want to assure everyone this is a place where everyone belongs. We’re sharing with you a message from the Ottawa County Cultural Intelligence Committee (CIC) under the OC Department of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) about the stigma of this disease.

“During this stressful time, the CIC of OC encourages the community to not only combat the virus but also realize the dangerous stigma attached to it. COVID-19 is not more likely to exist in any race or nationality, nor was it created by any race or nationality. The CIC asks that we refrain from discriminating against others concerning COVID-19; knowing it can lead to racism if we do not recognize it.  Please speak up when one might hear language labeling COVID-19 as a part of any particular country, race or culture, and work to create a safe space for all. This global pandemic will most successfully be fought through unity; every human must be equally valued to keep us all safe and healthy.” – Judy Kettring, CIC Chair and Cynthia Smeyers, CIC Co-Chair

Viruses do not discriminate and neither should we.
Coronavirus and Stigma - Know your facts

• Coronavirus doesn’t recognize race, nationality or ethnicity. The 2019 coronavirus started in Wuhan, China. That’s just geography. Having Chinese ancestry, or any other ancestry doesn’t make a person more vulnerable to the illness.

• Wearing a mask doesn’t always mean someone is ill. People wear masks for a variety of reasons.

• Instead of spreading the stigma, spread the facts: Subscribe to the Ottawa County bulletins to receive updates and resources. Be sure to share or read one known fact with someone else and ask them to do the same.

What do you do if you or someone you know has had a racist act occur?

Anyone can contact the Michigan Department of Civil rights at INFO@michigan.gov or 1-800-482-3604 or the Department of Attorney General at HateCrimes@michigan.gov or 313-456-0200. 

If you witness an incident you can be an ally by standing closer to the person being harassed to let them know that they’re not alone.   You can also speak up if you see harassment and correct myths with facts if you hear them. 

Read more about COVID in Michigan
and find resources at http://bit.ly/WelcomingCOVID19.

Ottawa County Parks Program and Events 

have been limited due to COVID-19, but we are adapting! Online and virtual nature programs are available. Please use and enjoy our parks and open spaces, but do so responsibly and safely, whether on a beach, in a forest, on a trail or in a parking lot. Parks mustn’t be areas of congregation at this time. If it becomes evident that people continue to disregard effective social distancing while visiting the Ottawa County parks and open spaces, we will have no other choice but to close them to protect the health of our community.

Please note that all restrooms and facilities, including playgrounds, are closed and in-person programs have been cancelled. We are offering some online/virtual nature programs, check them out below!

Here are some guidelines to follow if you venture out to a park:

• Only visit parks on your own or with members of your household
• Stay 6-10’ from others who are not in your household, on trails and in parking lots; it is essential that visitors are not congregating
• If the park you normally visit is busy (lot more than half full), please considering visiting another location – you can find our full list of properties here
• Wash your hands before and after your visit
• Restrooms are not open, be sure to plan ahead
• Pack out what you pack in

As the weather warms, ticks will return. Be sure to always check for ticks on yourself, children, and pets after you visit a park, especially if you have been off-trail. We recommend keeping a lint roller in the car to roll off clothes immediately following a hike, but it does not replace a more thorough tick check upon arriving home.

Click for announcements, Step It Up, online programs, featured programs and more!

Ottawa Area ISD releases framework for remote
learning during extended school closure

Anticipating the potential for Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order (2020-35) to include extending school closure through the end of the 2019-2020 school year, Ottawa Area ISD assembled a Remote Learning Taskforce to develop a long-term plan to deliver alternative modes of instruction other than in-person for students.

Today, the task force announced a framework has been designed by educators in general, special, career/technical, and early childhood education to provide guidance around how a district, school, or program might think through developing a Remote Learning system for students and families. It is intended to guide thinking, reflection, and planning, rather than dictate what will work best for schools and their communities.

“We are relieved to have been provided clarity, and we are understandably concerned about the challenges of delivering quality instruction without direct contact with our students. We are committed to providing the very best we are able to deliver and to support all of our local schools, both public and private," said Pete Haines, Ottawa Area ISD Superintendent

READ MORE I  Remote Learning Framework

Governor Whitmer's Press Briefing & Town Hall

Watch the April 2 press briefing here. I Watch the April 2 town hall here.

News & Information from the State

Read the latest news from all state departments here.

Twitter.com/MichStatePolice I Facebook.com/MichiganStatePolice

Governor Whitmer Signs Executive Order Suspending Face-to-Face Learning at K-12 Schools
for Remainder of School Year

Executive Order sets guidelines for remote learning, ensures teachers, school employees will be paid for remainder of school year

EO 2020-35

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer today signed Executive Order 2020-35, which orders all K-12 school buildings to close for the remainder of the school year — unless restrictions are lifted — and ensures continuation of learning by setting guidelines for remote learning. District facilities may be used by public school employees and contractors for the purposes of facilitating learning at a distance while also practicing social distancing.

“My number one priority right now is protecting Michigan families from the spread of COVID-19. For the sake of our students, their families, and the more than 100,000 teachers and staff in our state, I have made the difficult decision to close our school facilities for the remainder of the school year,” Governor Whitmer said. “As a parent, I understand the challenge closing schools creates for parents and guardians across the state, which is why we are setting guidelines for schools to continue remote learning and ensuring parents have resources to continue their children’s education from the safety of their homes. There is no video chat or homework packet that can replace the value of a highly trained, experienced teacher working with students in a classroom, but we must continue to provide equitable educational opportunities for students during this public health crisis.”

READ MORE

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly.
The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus
and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

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Governor Whitmer I Attorney General

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