CORRECTION - CASE COUNT DATE - Ottawa County's COVID-19 Response Updates

Ottawa County, Michigan sent this bulletin at 04/04/2020 10:55 AM EDT

Correction: As of April 3, 2020, Ottawa County has 35 positive COVID-19 cases.

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

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Ottawa County COVID-19 Statistics

As of April 3, 2020, Ottawa County has 35* positive COVID-19 cases, zero deaths and approximately 26% 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.

*Case counts may differ from MDHHS if a case gets reassigned to another jurisdiction.

Why doesn't public health share how many positive cases are in each zip code?

We’ve had questions about people wanting to know how many positive cases are in each zip code listed at miOttawa.org/miHealth, how many have recovered and why are other health departments providing this information. We hear and understand people want to know more about where positive cases live. For confidentiality purposes, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) will not be publishing case counts for specific zip codes, at this time.

Privacy can be compromised by releasing low counts by zip code level. However, as case counts increase and patient privacy can be assured, OCDPH will strongly consider publishing any relevant data to keep the public informed. Thankfully, at this time, Ottawa County does not have near the number of cases as seen in SE Michigan and other parts of the country.

Thank you, everyone, for staying home and staying safe!
You are making a difference! #OttawaStaysHome

We hope you find this information a good start. As you can see, 11 of the 14 zip codes in the county have positive cases. This geographic spread is evidence of the virus’s presence in Ottawa County. Viruses do not discriminate based on location. Everyone should treat their immediate surrounding as if the virus is there.

We ask everyone to be patient and keep in mind:

Since there is evidence of COVID-19 community spread, every location should be considered a potential risk. Treat every person as though they are infected because the virus can go undetected in many people. People of any age, even those who do not have any symptoms, could be a carrier of the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Providing the public with information about where an infected person may have been, is not an effective measure of COVID-19 disease prevention. Similarly, with influenza (flu) circulating in the community, which could be anywhere and public health officials wouldn’t have complete information about every location where someone with flu has been.
If lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 cases increase, public health officials will reevaluate what data can be available to the public and post it at miOttawa.org/miHealth.
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.

Now is not the time to browse at grocery stores or congregate in neighborhoods or parks--no matter your age. We are well-positioned in Ottawa County to get through this together IF we all adhere to the community mitigation guidelines.
Take care of your physical and mental health during this difficult time. Many resources are available at miOttawa.org/miHealth. We will do all we can to meet our community’s needs and provide information and resources as they becomes available.

Just like you, county employees are members of our community who are also affected by this pandemic; working hard to get through this together!

I think I've been exposed Guide

When is it safe to leave home Guide

More about How Coronavirus Spreads

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.

Urgent Reminder from Parks & Recreation

We want residents to use and enjoy our parks and open spaces and the Stay Home order allows for this. But we ask them to be use social distancing. Parks are not areas of congregation at this time. If a parking lot is half-full or more, choose a different destination. You will most likely want to avoid Rosy Mound, Grand Ravines – including the dog park, Olive Shores, and Mount Pisgah. Altogether, there are 40 properties totaling 7,000 acres, including areas allowing dogs.

We are monitoring the situation and are taking steps to reduce overcrowding, including restricting overflow parking, limiting parking and adding COVID trail etiquette signage at busier locations, and working in partnership with the Sheriff’s Office to monitor traffic and overcrowding. We will continue to do everything we can to keep our parks open. If it becomes evident that people continue to disregarding 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.

More information at miOttawa.org/parks.

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 Protecting Workers Who Stay Home, Stay Safe When They or Their Close Contacts Are Sick

Governor’s order also declares the state’s policy that those who test positive for or show symptoms of COVID-19 should stay in their homes, with few exceptions

Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-36, prohibiting all employers from discharging, disciplining, or otherwise retaliating against an employee for staying home from work if they or one of their close contacts tests positive for COVID-19 or has symptoms of the disease. Executive Order 2020-36 also strengthens the governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order by declaring that it is the public policy of the state that all Michiganders who test positive or show symptoms, or who live with someone who tests positive or shows symptoms, should not leave their homes unless absolutely necessary.

Nessel’s Office Tells Businesses to Stop Selling
Fake COVID-19 Test Kits

In continuing efforts to protect residents from scams and price-gouging related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office on Wednesday contacted two related businesses demanding they stop marketing and selling fake at-home COVID-19 test kits to Michigan consumers.

The Attorney General’s letter was sent to VitaStik Inc. and $tronghold Inc. – both registered in Las Vegas, Nevada, but operating in Beverly Hills, California – after a concerned Michigan consumer reported the businesses’ website promoting at-home COVID-19 test kits. The kits were marketed at $25 each and described as being 96.3 percent accurate, with results available in 15 minutes.

No such kits have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned consumers that all such promotions are scams.

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Lt. Governor Gilchrist & former Lt. Governor Calley team up to announce coalition to support small businesses, improve access to federal loans

Launch statewide effort to encourage Michigan businesses to apply for $349 billion SBA Paycheck Protection Program, starting today

com serves as information portal for businesses seeking support through SBA Paycheck Protection Program
Forgivable loans will help businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19 keep employees on payroll, pay bills
Strong Michigan participation in PPP critical for COVID-19 economic relief efforts

The Whitmer Administration announced today that businesses across Michigan are now able to apply for $349 billion in Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II was joined by former Lt. Governor, and current president of the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) Brian Calley and Bob Doyle, president and CEO of the Michigan Association of CPAs, in launching a new statewide website, MIpaycheckprotection.com, to provide businesses with key resources to assist with the PPP application and loan process and ensure the greatest amount of federal funding is able to be used by small businesses for economic relief efforts throughout the state.

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