PUBLIC STATEMENT COVID-19 MARCH 25

[St. James Township]

Beaver Island Emergency Services Authority (COVID-19 Leadership Team)
Public Statement regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
Last Updated: March 25, 2020

To Beaver Island full-time residents, seasonal residents, families, businesses, and visitors:

On Monday, March 23, 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order (EO 2020-21). For at least the next three weeks, all Michigan businesses and operations must temporarily suspend in-person operations that are not necessary to sustain or protect life, and all Michiganders must stay in their homes unless they’re a part of that critical infrastructure workforce, engaged in an outdoor activity (while practicing proper social distancing), or performing tasks necessary to the health and safety of themselves or their families, like going to the hospital or grocery store.

Following these guidelines is essential on Beaver Island if we hope to decrease the possible negative impact of this looming health emergency. Michigan is 5th in the number of coronavirus cases in the United States as of March 25, 2020. Each person and each family must consider for themselves the best routines to restrict their exposure to others.

The Island’s public and private service providers have done an excellent job of setting up protocols and providing essential services while protecting the population. Both airlines are taking strict safety precautions and are following all directives for the FAA and other regulatory agencies. A summary of current services is being developed to provide relevant information in one location and will be posted to the website soon.

The COVID-19 Leadership Team is monitoring what is going on locally and beyond and to understand and react to issues that will affect the Island. The team consists of township supervisors Bill Kohls and Kitty McNamara, BI EMS Director Cody Randall, BI Rural Health Center Director Tammy Radionoff and BIESA member Bob Turner. The team is meeting via conference call when necessary.

The township supervisors are in direct contact with Megan Anderson, Director, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security. Megan has initiated regional Emergency Operations Calls three times per week. At least two members of the Beaver Island COVID-19 Leadership Team will attend these conference calls to keep abreast of what is happening in northern Michigan.

The Beaver Island Rural Health Center is developing a preliminary list of Beaver Island residents with current or recent health care skills. If you have a medical background and are willing to help out if needed, please email Tammy Radionoff with a summary of your, medical background and skills, contact information and your availability to assist if needed. tammyr@biruralhealth.org

New Arrivals to Beaver Island should self-quarantine for 14 days

For updated information click on the "Coronavirus 19" Link on either township's homepage: http://www.peainetwp.org/ http://www.stjamestwp.org/

Kathleen McNamara, Supervisor
St James Township
Phone: 231.448.2014
mcnamara.stjamestwp.bi@gmail.com

William Kohls, Supervisor
Peaine Township
Phone: 231.448.2389
peainetownship@gmail.com

[JFPowers]

If you do not restrict travel off the island this policy is superfluous. The amount of COVID-19 is vastly underreported in Northern Michigan and if you do not restrict travel by islanders of leaving the island you will not significantly impact the presence of COVID19 on the island. Most transmission occurrs by asymptomatic of mild symptomatic people so going to any mainland store, doctors office or hospital, or any other place where aerosols or contact with surfaces are present they are exposing themselves and in leu the island. So that could be your other addendum, make anyone who leaves even for a few hours quarantine for 14 days, and even then the virus can shed undetected for longer up to 37 days in some cases.

COVID cases often get worse as the disease progresses, perhaps the island should develop a mainland isolation plan if and when anyone from Beaver Island develops COVID symptoms. If someone develops ARDS as the disease progresses, the situation can get severe very quickly and unless medivac with full hazmat personnel has been worked out the island and without proper covid isolation procedures Beaver Island is not the place to be. Here is a couple links the first one is updated regularly and is from a Seattle Hospital in the area where COVID first broke in the US. As you can see shedding can occurr for a mean of 20 days so anyone with COVID symptoms that has come to the island in the past would still potentially be contagious for up to a month or more after they were infected with the virus. The island needs to be working on how they are going to handle whatever comes of the summer season as THAT is when the greatest likelihood that the virus will come to the island in the period of time AFTER the state and national programs for the restriction of travel are lifted.

The best thing you can do is practice social distancing,personal hygeine, monitor your temperature daily, and if you develop any symptoms develop a plan to get to a mainland facility with experience in treating COVID patients. McLaren and Munson systems already have in place protocols for testing and isolation within their systems for patients ill with COVID.

Another thing you can do is to work on reducing your risk factors, as things like smokers have a 13x greater risk of developing severe symptoms. Now more than ever is a time to get healthy in every way that you can. Beaver Island is a great place for taking long walks, exercise and the development of healthy habits

https://www.onepagericu.com/

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101 ... 20030593v1