MARQUETTE — UP Health System-Marquette announced the arrival of its initial allotment of the COVID-19 vaccine Thursday, with shots administered to health care workers on Friday.

“We are beginning to offer the vaccine to our front line health care heroes per CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and state guidelines today,” a Friday email from UPHS-Marquette states. “We encourage everyone in our community to be a hero and get vaccinated once the vaccine is more widely available to our community members, hopefully in the coming months. Thank you to our entire team for helping to make this day in history a reality.”

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has set an initial operational goal of vaccinating 70% of individuals age 16 or older, or about 5.6 million people, for COVID-19 by the end of 2021.

The first phase of vaccine administration includes paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work from home, as well as residents of long-term care facilities.

“We are so proud that our dedicated team members are stepping up to protect our patients, one another, and our community by choosing to get vaccinated. We are excited to be taking this next step toward ending the pandemic and advancing our mission of #MakingCommunitiesHealthier,” a UPHS-Marquette Facebook post stated.

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MDHHS updates epidemic order

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced the reopening of high schools to in-person learning as of Dec. 21, as well as indoor venues where people can remain masked and socially distanced and outdoor group fitness and outdoor non-contact sports.

According to a press release Friday from MDHHS, casinos, bowling centers and movie theaters will be allowed to reopen with total capacity capped at 100, food and drink concessions closed, and social distancing requirements in place. The new order is effective starting Monday until Friday, Jan. 15.

The following areas remain closed or not permissible:

• Workplaces when work can be done from home.

• Indoor dining at restaurants and bars.

• Night clubs.

• Indoor sports and contact sports.

• Trampoline parks and water parks.

• Indoor group fitness classes.

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Epidemic order to delay opening of NMU residence halls

Northern Michigan University, in a statement Friday, said the MDHHS order will not impact the previously planned start of winter semester classes on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

Compliance with Friday’s order will delay the reopening of campus residence halls to Jan. 15, resulting in a slightly modified schedule for mass COVID-19 testing before the semester gets underway, the release states.

NMU President Fritz Erickson called the timing of the MDHHS extension “strategic” in a campus-wide email Friday, because it allows “a full 14-day incubation period of the COVID-19 virus following any New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day gatherings.”

“That will reduce the risk of spread as individuals return to sharing classrooms and labs, along with housing, offices and other campus spaces,” the release states.

“We are in discussion about how the first four days of classes (Jan. 19-22) should be held — remote or in-person remote or in-person in relationship to our required COVID-19 testing,” Erickson’s email states. “I’ll update you when we finalize that decision. The key point is that classes will begin Jan. 19 as scheduled.”

Residence halls had been scheduled to open Saturday, Jan. 9, but will now open Friday, Jan. 15, the release states.

Students scheduled to be in the halls earlier due to university-related commitments will be able to come back at their previously arranged times.

NMU will conduct COVID-19 testing of students, faculty and staff as it did prior to its fall semester. The testing had been scheduled to take place Jan. 4-18.

Erickson said a new schedule that accommodates the later residence hall opening will be distributed before the end of December, along with a link to sign up for a test time.

“As indicated in an earlier email, this semester there is the option to test outside of NMU’s event and upload the results into a database,” Erickson wrote. “Most insurances cover the cost of a COVID-19 test. Northern will post $25 of CatCash to NMU accounts for use at campus eateries toward these external tests, which help decrease the number of tests NMU needs to perform in the short period before classes begin.”

Erickson said more details will be announced in future emails.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.