For Tuesday, June 23.

MARQUETTE — Norlite Nursing Center announced on its Facebook page that it is starting outdoor visits with families and friends of its residents soon.

The Marquette-based facility said the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is expected to release a ruling on outside visits this week, and Norlite wants to comply with the forthcoming regulation.

All visits, which will be scheduled and supervised by a staff member, will take place on the front and back patios only. Visits will be limited to two family members or friends who are age 16 or older at a time.

Initially, visits will be limited to one visit per resident per week.

Visits will be limited to 50 minutes total starting at the top of the hour to allow 10 minutes for sanitation and readiness for the next resident’s visit. Visitors will be screened for symptoms and potential exposure to COVID-19 and be required to wear a surgical mask or one of a higher grade, which Norlite will provide.

Social distancing will be practiced, and no food or gifts are to be passed.

Norlite, which had a COVID-19 outbreak that resulted in eight deaths, announced last week it officially is free of the novel coronavirus, with the last resident removed from COVID-19 isolation after receiving consecutive negative tests.

Eastwood Nursing Center in Negaunee also announced on its Facebook that it plans to bring residents outside to visit with family members in a designated visiting area next to its A-wing patio.

The visiting area will be located in the back parking lot off of Maas Street.

Visitors will be screened before their visits, with staff taking each visitor’s temperature. Visitors will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Visits will be limited to 30 minutes.

The Marquette County Medical Care Facility in Ishpeming said on its Facebook page that outside visits will not be allowed until after Friday, at the earliest. It said that all of its resident tests that are outstanding need to come back negative.

Face mask fundraiser started

Beth Millner Jewelry, based in Marquette, has released new face masks for its Face Mask Fundraiser Program.

It announced that after the onset of COVID-19 resulted in the recommendation of the use of face masks, it pivoted its business to produce them.

These masks are available on a sliding scale to make them available to the community regardless of an individual’s financial status.

Beth Millner Jewelry, which has sold nearly 5,000 masks, recently partnered with various community organizations to create masks, with profits going to those organizations.

Current partners include the Superior Health Foundation, the Marquette Senior High School Makerspace Fund, an Upper Peninsula chapter of Stand With Trans and the Historic Vista Theater in Negaunee.

The masks are sold online at bethmillner.com as well as by phone at 906-226-3540 or by window order at the Millner studio at 521 W. Washington St., Marquette.

Beth Millner Jewelry also has a jewelry fundraiser program in which profits are donated to U.P. nonprofits. In 2019, the program raised over $14,000.

For more information on these programs, contact Jane Wagar at info@bethmillner.com.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net