The following email was sent to MASA members on March 11, 2020.
MASA Members,
This evening, Gov. Whitmer held a press conference regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) where she asked Michiganders to follow recommendations designed to prevent the spread and threat of the virus.
Most notable for educators, the governor encouraged schools, universities, businesses, and other organizations to use their best judgment about what steps are most appropriate to keep people safe and slow the spread of the disease.
To slow the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan, the governor and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) provided the following recommendations:
- Learn about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
- STAY HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK, and Individuals at risk of severe illness should consider staying at home to avoid others who are sick.
- Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, keyboards, cell phones and light switches.
- Communicate and reinforce best practices for washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.
- Be sure to maintain a supply of medications, food, and other essentials in your house.
- Cancel or postpone large gatherings, conferences and sporting events (e.g. events with over 100 people).
- Reduce in-person gatherings and activities, especially for organizations with individuals at risk of severe illness. Consider offering video or audio of events.
- Consider tele-learning or tele-work opportunities, where feasible.
- Limit non-essential work travel.
- If you care for a loved one living in a care facility, monitor the situation, ask about the health of the other residents frequently, and know the protocol if there is an outbreak.
- Limit visitors at hospitals and other facilities to only those who are absolutely necessary and implement screening of visitors for temperature and respiratory symptoms.
- See the full list of recommendations
MASA encourages members to continue to work with their local health agencies to implement these recommendations as appropriate.
Information about this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
Additional resources are available on the MASA website at gomasa.org/covid-19.
MASA will be hosting a webinar in partnership with Thrun Law Firm at 10 a.m. on March 17, 2020.
This virtual session will include a brief legal overview of the topic, followed by some time dedicated to answering questions from MASA members. Members can submit questions in advance via a survey, or during the live webinar using a chat feature. Learn more, submit questions, and register for the webinar here.