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Health department: 14 days remains the quarantine standard

MARQUETTE — The Marquette County Health Department has clarified the change in quarantine requirements for COVID-19.

The MCHD said that on Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance regarding the length of the quarantine period for individuals at high risk of exposure to COVID-19, which it acknowledged has created much confusion among the public.

The health department stressed that the CDC guidance is merely a recommendation to states.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, it said, has determined quarantine periods to be used across the state for people at high risk, with local health departments then following the direction of the MDHHS.

MCHD said that considering the recent changes, the current recommendations of MDHHS and the protocols that the MCHD will follow are keeping the 14-day quarantine period as the standard. The health department may reduce an individual’s quarantine to 10 days if no symptoms of COVID-19 have occurred within 10 days of the last exposure to a COVID-19 case on a case-by-case basis.

Monitoring for daily symptoms must continue for 14 days after the last exposure.

These quarantine requirements might change with improvements in testing capacity and protocols within Michigan.

According to the CDC, it currently recommends a quarantine period of 14 days, but based on local circumstances and resources, quarantine can end after the 10th day without testing and if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring.

When diagnostic testing resources are sufficient and available, quarantine can end after the seventh day if a diagnostic specimen tests negative and no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring. The specimen may be collected and tested within 48 hours before the time of planned quarantine discontinuation, but quarantine cannot be discontinued earlier than after the seventh day.

LMAS provides update

The Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft District Health Department said total COVID-19 case numbers, confirmed and probable, increased from 837 to 906 from Nov. 27-Dec. 3. Five deaths have been recorded in the district.

A total of 65%, or 545 cases, are considered recovered, which means the individuals are still alive after 30 days from a positive test or onset of symptoms. For the entire month of November, there was an 82% increase in cases.

LMAS said there is reason to hope with encouraging updates on two COVID vaccines possibly being available soon, and others on the horizon. It stressed it’s important to remember the vaccination process will take time, and will be distributed based on risk and maintaining health care capacity. The result: It may be several months before there is vaccine readily available for the general public. So, LMAS urges the public to continue wearing cloth face coverings that fit over noses and mouths, wash hands, stay home if ill and not participate in gatherings that include people not in their immediate households.

LMAS provides a weekly COVID-19 update on Thursday afternoons of confirmed and probable cases, deaths and numbers considered recovered at LMASDHD.org.

District has early

dismissal

NICE Community Schools announced on Friday on Facebook that it planned a early dismissal that day after it learned an adult who works with many students in second through fifth grades tested positive for COVID-19.

The dismissal applied to all Aspen Ridge School students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

All students in second through fifth grades will switch to distance learning Monday through Friday next week, with each class’ return date to be conveyed via each class’ teacher.

PPP data allegedly

misused

The Michigan Bankers Association, Michigan Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Association of Michigan have been notified that some third-party businesses are using public data pertaining to the Paycheck Protection Program to solicit business from PPP borrowers, specifically referencing the name of the lending institution.

Some of these businesses are not disclosing that they are unaffiliated with the PPP lender, and other businesses are implying a relationship where none exists.

On Nov. 5, a federal judge ordered the Small Business Administration to release the names, addresses and precise loan amounts for all PPP and COVID-19 related Economic Injury Disaster Loan recipients. The judge found that SBA’s claimed exemptions from the Freedom of Information Act do not cover the PPP data sought by major news organizations. The SBA publicly released this information on Tuesday.

“Your financial institution’s commitment to protect your privacy is paramount,” said T. Rann Paynter, president and CEO of MBA, in a statement. “Michigan banks follow all applicable laws and regulations. Data was disclosed by the Small Business Administration following a court order to do so. Your bank will communicate directly with you about your PPP loan and the forgiveness process. If you have any doubt, please contact your financial institution.”

Wendy Block, vice president of business advocacy and member engagement for the Michigan chamber, said in a statement, “The information released Tuesday shows that businesses of all types and across all industries benefited from this unprecedented program.

“However, it’s concerning that it included loan-level data, including business names, addresses, NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes, zip codes, business type, demographic data, nonprofit information, name of lender, jobs supported and loan amount, thereby opening the door to unwanted solicitations and potential phishing schemes.”

Businesses and nonprofits with PPP loans should be on high alert, Block said.

SBAM President Brian Calley said in a statement that those who received the PPP should be on high alert and not discuss their loans with anyone other than their bankers.

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

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