Blue Water Area COVID-19 Update

St. Clair County, MI — Lambton County, Ontario

Cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases as of October 14, 2020 at  10:30 AM are as follows:

  • State of Michigan: 137,702 confirmed cases; 6,928 deaths
  • St. Clair County: 1,028 confirmed cases; 59 deaths
  • Ontario: 61,413 confirmed cases;  3,017 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton: 350 confirmed cases; 25 deaths

As of Wednesday, St. Clair County had 184 active cases of the virus, and 4% of hospital beds in the county are being used for COVID-19 patients.

The St. Clair County Health Department is encouraging the public to take advantage of one of their community flu clinics which are happening throughout October. More information is available at www.scchealth.co.

 

Lambton County currently has 2 active cases, and Bluewater Health reported a patient currently hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 as of Tuesday.

Lambton Public Health is in the process of contact tracing a case of COVID-19 that was discovered at Colonel Cameron Public School in Corunna.

The Ontario government recently established targeted public health measures in the Ottawa, Peel, and Toronto regions and is urging Ontarians to limit trips outside the home and follow recommended guidelines for social distancing, wearing face masks, and handwashing

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

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Local Farms and Processors Get State Safety Grants

Michigan Agricultural Safety Grants have been awarded to seven St. Clair County businesses. The local farms and processors are among the 460 businesses statewide that received over $15 million.

The money is an allocation from the federal CARES Act and is to be used for COVID-19 testing costs, personal protection equipment, facility needs, and other expenses incurred to mitigate infection risks. 

Awards of $1000-$5000 were given to Dancing Meadows Homestead in Cottrellville Township, Fawn Hill Farm in Clyde Township, and Mark Heidt in Brockway Township. 

Grants between $12,000 and $50,000 were awarded to Berville Farms and Mike Pirrone Produce in Capac, C. Roy Inc. in Yale, McCallum’s Orchard in Jeddo, and Marysville Ethanol. 

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reports that food and agriculture contribute $104.7 billion annually to Michigan’s economy and represent 805,000 jobs statewide. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Schools Switches Up Free Meal Distribution

Port Huron, MI — It’s School Lunch Week nationwide. Also this week, Port Huron Schools has launched a change to their meal distribution plan. The district continues to provide lunches to all students whether they are learning virtually or in-person with the hybrid schedule. Parents are now able to pick up a whole week’s worth of food in one visit every Monday

Starting this week, meals were not sent home with students. The school district switched to parents picking up the lunches in order to provide a greater selection and allow uninterrupted instruction time at school. Both breakfast and lunch are provided and are available for all children ages 18 and younger.

Meals can be picked up on Mondays between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. and between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. at both the Port Huron Northern High School and Port Huron High School Performing Arts Centers. Meals can be picked up by friends or family if parents don’t have a ride to the centers.

Michigan State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said, “The federal waivers have just been extended through the rest of the school year so children will not lack the essential nutrition to be healthy.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

New Law Helps Those with Criminal Records Get a “Clean Slate”

Michigan House Bills 4980-4985 and 5120 were signed into law on Monday. The “Clean Slate” criminal justice reform is aimed at expunging the records of people who have committed certain felonies and misdemeanors.

With recreational marijuana decriminalized since late 2018, those convicted of both felonies and misdemeanors are now able to get one or more pot charges set aside if the crime would not have been a felony after the decriminalization. Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II said, “This anti-poverty, pro-job opportunity Clean Slate legislation will reinvigorate the economic potential of hundreds of thousands of Michiganders whose records have hindered their availability to get a job or secure housing, and it will help us grow our workforce.”

This law is estimated to affect over 80,000 Detroiters and likely has effects on residents of the Blue Water Area. A University of Michigan Law School study found that people who receive expungements see a 23% increase in income within a year.

The bipartisan effort was praised by Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield who said it helps to end the “cruel cycle of poverty and crime”.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Schools and Health Departments Have 24 Hours Inform of Possible COVID-19 Exposure

Any confusion over requirements for schools reporting COVID positive students has been cleared up by a ruling from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The ruling went into effect on Monday and is in effect until further notice. The ruling fills the gap left by the Executive Orders from Governor Whitmer that were ruled against by the Michigan Supreme Court.

According to the order, schools, both public and non-public, need to identify who may have been exposed using the criteria of being within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before illness onset. “The best available evidence demonstrates that these notifications must be made no later than 24 hours after suspected or confirmed exposure”, according to the order.

Once the local health department is notified that the case is school associated, they have to notify the school within 24 hours so the school can help them identify who needs to be called for contact tracing. Then, a public notice needs to be made in a highly visible spot on the school’s website.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Safe Sleep Awareness Protects Infants

October is Safe Sleep Awareness month, and caregivers are encouraged to take measures to ensure their infants have a safe environment for sleeping.

Babies 0-12 months old should be placed on their backs in a crib, bassinet, or pack ‘n play every time they need rest. Mattresses should be firm with a tightly fitted sheet and be free of pillows, fluffy blankets, or toys.

Babies can be kept from overheating by using a sleep sack or footed pajamas and limiting the use of blankets. Caregivers should also avoid covering infant’s heads while they are sleeping.

The newly signed 2021 budget for the State of Michigan included funding for the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies plan which provides services for expectant mothers. Those services include guidance for new parents and caregivers on infant sleep safety and can be accessed through the MDHHS Safe Sleep Website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand