MARQUETTE — Several agencies and organizations have made note of the first anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan.

The Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft District Health Department issued an update on Wednesday on COVID-19’s impact on the four counties in the past year, noting it has been a year since the first COVID case was identified in Michigan. During the last year, over 600,000 Michigan residents have battled COVID-19, with over 15,700 having died from the disease, LMAS said, although some of those who have recovered continue to have long-lasting health issues that include loss of taste and smell, cardiovascular and neurological problems.

However, it said good news has come in the form of vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and most recently, Johnson & Johnson. Since mid-December, about 6,200 people in the LMAS counties have completed the full two-shot series of COVID vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, or have received the single-dose shot from Johnson & Johnson.

This represents around 30% of the population age 18 and older in the four counties. Unfortunately, LMAS stressed that the 30% vaccination rate is not at the protective level of population immunity, which is at least 75-80%. The U.S. has vaccinated only 10% of the population age 18 and older.

“We have a long way to go and the virus, which causes COVID-19, is still present in our communities,” said Kerry Ott, LMAS public information officer, in a statement. “Recently, sporting events, social gatherings and funerals have been examples of high-risk exposure sites in the region. Add in more than 500 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant and one case of the B.1.351 variant discovered this week in Michigan, and there is still a great need to proceed cautiously over the next few months.”

LMAS urged people to properly wear a cloth face covering that fully covers the mouth and nose whenever in public places or with larger groups of people in any setting, and stay home when they are ill.

It also urged people to get tested for COVID-19. Anyone, including those under the age of 18, can be tested at the LMAS Regional Laboratory in Newberry by calling 906-293-5107 ext. 363 to schedule an appointment. Test results will be available within 15 minutes to two hours. Testing is also available at Helen Newberry Joy Hospital, Mackinac Straits Hospital, Munising Memorial Hospital and Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital.

Testing can be completed for people with and without symptoms, said LMAS, which recommended that anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID such as sore throat, fever and sudden loss of taste and smell get tested. People who work in high-risk jobs, such as health care or those working in public venues such as grocery stores and gas stations, should consider getting tested as well.

Also, anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or who was recently in a crowded event where masks and distancing were not maintained should schedule an appointment to be tested.

“The COVID-19 test is a snapshot in time for that individual, but those who test positive can help us contain the spread by following isolation guidance and assisting the health department with identifying any close contacts,” Ott said.

MEA president comments on anniversary

Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart has issued a statement to mark the anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Michigan.

“As we mark this solemn anniversary, educators across Michigan first and foremost want to thank the medical professionals, first responders, scientists, public health officials and every other worker who has put themselves on the front lines to keep us healthy and safe from this virus,” Herbert said. “While too many lives have been cut short by COVID-19, we’ve all been aided and touched by the dedicated efforts of so many individuals.

“We are also thankful for the strength and leadership of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer through this crisis. As she promised — from campaign trail to inauguration to office — she has worked as a partner with school employees to meet the needs of Michigan students, and that has continued with her efforts to keep everyone safe during the pandemic.”

She said the MEA particularly appreciated Whitmer’s prioritizing frontline pre-K-12 teachers and support staff to receive the COVID vaccine, noting that MEA survey data has shown Michigan educators far outpace the national vaccination rate for school employees — a direct result of her leadership.

“Finally, we owe our thanks to Michigan’s parents and families, who are always essential partners in the effort to educate our students but who have gone to great lengths this past year,” Herbert said. “We have bonded as a team, working through the challenges, the heartbreaks, the frustration and the successes of the many learning models this unprecedented year has brought. As a team, educators and families need to stick together to ensure students are safe, healthy and have equal opportunities to succeed as we enter a world of post-COVID learning.”

Senators seek virus information

U.S. Sens. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills, and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, leaders of the Senate’s primary oversight committee, announced they are pressing top federal agencies for information, including documents, communications and interviews related to the federal government’s coronavirus pandemic preparedness and response.

This is the first bipartisan effort by the committee leaders to examine the federal government’s planning, coordination and execution of prevention and response efforts to COVID-19, they said, and follows a similar request Peters made last year.

“More than a half million Americans have died from COVID-19 since the first cases were detected in the United States,” the senators wrote in a letter.

In addition, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found that as “of December 2020, there were more than 10.7 million unemployed individuals, compared to nearly 5.8 million individuals at the beginning of the calendar year,” and further warned the “pandemic will likely remain a significant obstacle to more robust economic activity,” Peters and Portman wrote.

They also said the deaths were “unacceptable.”

“The economic fallout must also be remedied,” the senators said. “As such, we must examine and understand the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and any needed reforms to combat this and future pandemics.”

Peters and Portman are seeking detailed information from the White House, National Archives and Records Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Defense, State Department and the Office of Management and Budget to analyze what they consider the challenges and flaws in the federal pandemic preparedness and response efforts.

The senators wrote to the National Archives to gain access to documents and information related to the previous administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee will examine critical steps during the federal government’s initial pandemic response in the U.S. and identify reforms to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response to prevent future pandemics from significantly affecting the nation’s health, safety and economic security. Peters and Portman will also assess needed actions to help strengthen the current pandemic response, including ensuring widely available COVID-19 vaccines for every American.

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