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Local News

Nursing Home Visiting Restrictions Extend into 5th Month

An Executive Order was signed late last week mandating continued temporary restrictions on visitors to health care facilities, residential facilities like nursing homes, congregate facilities, and juvenile justice facilities. 

It has been a long time since Michigan residents could freely visit loved ones in long term care facilities. This new order gives the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services the authority to gradually re-open visitation according to circumstances. The order lasts until August 31.

Nursing homes have been hit especially hard by infection in the state overall, as well as in St. Clair County.Long-term care providers are expected to have an action plan submitted to the Governor’s office by August 31 explaining their plan for stopping any future outbreaks of COVID-19 in their facilities. There is also legislation in the state legislature calling for tighter regulations of long-term care facilities. 

Currently, visits to nursing homes are restricted to special circumstances that support “activities of daily living” and are closely monitored. The restrictions began on March 13th. The latest order is the 156th order issued in 2020.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Bluewater Area COVID-19 Update for July 24, 2020

St. Clair County, MI — Lambton County, Ontario

Cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases as of July 24th, 2020 at  9:00 AM are as follows:

  • State of Michigan: 75,947  confirmed cases; 6,148 deaths
  • St. Clair County: 575 confirmed cases; 52 deaths
  • Ontario: 38,210  confirmed cases;  2,755 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton: 292 confirmed cases; 25 deaths

St. Clair County currently has 59 active cases of the virus, and 1% of hospital beds in the county are being used for COVID-19 patients. There have been 44 new total cases of COVID-19 in St. Clair County in the last 7 days, with an increase of 6.3 cases on average per day.

Justin Westmiller, Director of St. Clair County Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said in a Facebook Live video Thursday afternoon that the county is seeing a steady rise in cases since mid-June. He encouraged residents to adhere to the mask mandate along with social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus, and he also said that a face shield does not offer the same protection as a mask for those around you.

Sarnia currently has 6 active cases. Though that number is low, it is the highest number of active cases in the area since the end of May. There are no current outbreaks in long-term care facilities.

Effective today, the Government of Ontario and the Chief Medical Officer of Health have moved Sarnia-Lambton into Stage 3 of the Framework for Reopening our Province. Municipal buildings will reopen on July 27th, and Sarnia Transit will move to Saturday level transit service on weekdays effective August 4th with a full reinstatement of transit services planned for September 6th. Park and playground equipment will reopen on August 1st.

 

*** It is important to note that WGRT is continuing to report confirmed cases from each area, not total cases which are a combination of confirmed and probable cases. We have chosen to approach the data this way to simplify our reports and to create uniformity in the numbers we are reporting for each region, St.Clair County, Lambton County, Michigan, and Ontario.

Please continue to rely on reputable sources for information on COVID-19:

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

SC4 and Health Department Create Health Clinic on Campus

Port Huron, MI — The creation of a health clinic on the campus of St. Clair County Community College was approved by the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners. The clinic is designed to be a bridge between pediatric and adult care.

The new clinic will have a full-time nurse on staff and will be linked to the St. Clair County Health Department’s Teen Health and Personal Health clinics.

Students are often in class during traditional office hours. The SC4 clinic idea hopes to increase accessibility for busy students while providing preventative services to the college-age population.

Dr. Annette Mercatante, Medical Health Officer of the St. Clair County Health Department, said, “This type of community collaboration is a win-win for everyone. Health is a team effort, and we are delighted to have this opportunity to work with our local college and this population.”

The clinic is expected to open this fall. The location is still being determined. SC4 has agreed to reimburse the Health Department in the amount of $90,000 for staffing the clinic.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SONS Banquet & Golf Outing Go Virtual

Port Huron, MI — In a time when large gatherings are prohibited, many nonprofit organizations are trying to innovate new ways to connect with donors and organize fundraising opportunities. SONS Outreach is hoping to raise $40,000 in donations with a virtual event to replace its annual banquet and golf outing.

SONS Outreach has been serving at-risk youth in the Blue Water area since 1992 by providing recreational activities, team mentoring, leadership training, and self-esteem building programs.  Executive Director Tyrone Burrell says the organization has helped over 14,000 boys and girls in the community.

“Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, we are holding one big virtual fundraiser instead of our usual banquet and golf outing. We know that the community believes in what we provide to young people in the Blue Water Area, and we hope they will continue to support us during this time of great change when kids need support more than ever before,” said Burrell.

He also noted that SONS has a history of helping youth make positive choices during critical times in their lives. “One of our biggest success stories is a young man who struggled throughout high school, getting in with the wrong crowd and getting in trouble,” said Burrell. “He got involved with SONS and we helped direct him to service in the military, and he is now 31 years old and a successful business owner in Atlanta, Georgia. I know that without SONS, he would not be where he is today, and he is the first person to tell you that.”

For more information about donating to SONS virtual campaign, visit their website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Options Available for Missed Tax Deadline

State income taxes were due July 15, but there is help for those who may have missed it. The deadline was extended this year due to the pandemic.

If taxpayers have a tax bill, and they don’t have the money, they should pay as much as they can, according to a message from the State Treasury. Taxpayers will likely still have to pay the rest, but the Treasury says they will work out a plan for payment. A penalty waiver can be requested if reasonable cause can be proven. A monthly payment plan can also be arranged. There is also an Offer in Compromise option where an agreement can be reached to settle a final tax bill. Applications for all of the options can be found at Michigan.gov.

The Michigan State Treasury warns that refunds are only available for four years, so returns should be filed promptly to claim any outstanding refunds. 

According to State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks, “If you have an outstanding tax debt and cannot make full payment, we will work with you on payment options. Our goal is to help taxpayers limit interest charges and late payment penalties.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

New Rules Hope to Increase Deer Harvest This Year

Deer hunting is a few months away, but the Michigan Natural Resources Commission has announced some new regulations that take effect for the 2020 season. The changes are intended to provide additional opportunities and cost savings for hunters, as well as offer flexibility for the pursuit of deer.

Statewide, the new regulations qualify deaf hunters for the Liberty and Independence hunts, which are hunt periods generally reserved for disabled veterans and youth. The statewide limit has been increased to ten per hunter for private land where property owners are trying to manage a deer overpopulation. Additionally, there are changes to quotas and licenses in the Lower Peninsula.

Chad Stewart, the DNR’s deer, elk, and moose program leader, said, “These recommendations are aimed at making it easier for hunters of all ages and experience levels to enjoy a Michigan outdoor tradition, while at the same time facing the present and future challenges of managing the state’s abundant deer population.”

The full list of changes in regulations can be found at Michigan.gov/DNRDigests.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland