A dog sled team participating in the 2019 UP200 makes its way through the checkpoint in Wetmore. Given current concerns about COVID-19 in the region, the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association is making ongoing adjustments to ensure a safe UP200, Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30 for mushers and spectators. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE — Given current concerns about COVID-19 in the region, the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association is making ongoing adjustments to ensure a safe UP200, Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30 for mushers and spectators.

The UP200 and Midnight Run races are scheduled to start on Feb. 18 while the Jack Pine 30 is scheduled for Feb. 19, which is when the Midnight Run is expected to finish. The UP200 is set to finish on Feb. 20.

To help protect everyone involved, the UPSDA announced on Monday that it recently made changes to its indoor events. The prerace banquet originally scheduled for the evening of Feb. 17 will not be held.

The UPSDA said UP200 and Midnight Run mushers must register in person by 4 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Holiday Inn in Marquette, and mandatory musher meetings will be held as scheduled. Race bibs and sponsor sled banners will be distributed following the musher meetings. Only mushers, their handlers and race officials will be allowed to enter these events.

To adhere to safe venue capacity guidelines, the awards ceremonies for the UP200 and Midnight Run also are restricted to mushers, handlers and race personnel. Jack Pine 30 mushers will register in person at the Gwinn First Baptist Church on the morning of Feb. 19, with similar limitations on indoor events to be in place.

Outdoor events are taking place as planned, although the UPSDA advises people to adhere to local and national COVID protocols. The UP200 and Midnight Run races start in Marquette and follow Lakeshore Boulevard and the multiuse path along Lake Superior to Harvey. This leg of trail offers spectators uncrowded spots to watch the teams.

The UPSDA indicated that the Jack Pine 30 in Gwinn has ample spectator space at the start, finish and along the trail.

“Finding a less crowded spot along the trail allows spectators to watch teams without being in a large group,” it said in a new release. “And a mask under a scarf or neck gaiter is a great way to stay warm while protecting yourself and others.”

UP200 and Midnight Run teams will have spot trackers on their sleds to show their progress along the trail throughout the races, the UPSDA said. Individuals can follow their favorite teams at UP200.org. Additionally, throughout race weekend, fans can visit the Holiday Inn to purchase merchandise and get race information in the large, socially distanced Iron and Copper rooms.

“The UPSDA is excited to bring back our awesome sled dog races for 2022 and we thank everyone for their help making this a safe event,” it said.

The 2021 races were canceled due to COVID-19.

Visit UP200.org for a schedule of events and the latest race information.

Free tests available

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Monday announced a partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation to ship 250,000 free tests to 50,000 households to help get COVID-19 at-home tests into the hands of Michiganders.

“Testing is critical to helping Michiganders protect themselves and their loved ones as we face the omicron variant of COVID-19,” Whitmer said in a statement. “I am grateful to the Rockefeller Foundation and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for teaming up to deliver 250,000 tests to families in counties across the state.”

Whitmer said that in January, the state sent 300,000 tests to schools and other group settings.

“Together, we can keep ourselves safe by testing, getting vaccinated and boosted, and wearing a mask in high-transmission areas,” she said.

Households in eligible ZIP codes in downstate Berrien, Genesee, Kent, Macomb, Muskegon, Oakland, Saginaw and Wayne counties, and the city of Detroit, are eligible to order one test kit per household from the Project Act website at www.accesscovidtests.org/. Each kit contains five tests and should arrive in Amazon packaging within one to two weeks of ordering, the governor’s office said.

Michigan has 250,000 tests, which will be made available to 50,000 households in this first phase of the program. Additional test availability is anticipated in the future.

“Testing is an important tool to limit the spread of the virus and at-home tests allow individuals to very quickly determine if they are positive for the virus and take actions to isolate and seek treatment if needed,” MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said in a statement.

This program is in addition to free at-home tests available through the federal government partnership with the United States Postal Service. For details on that program, visit https://special.usps. com/testkits.

Anesthesiologists play a role

Highly trained physician anesthesiologists continue to play a vital role in protecting patient safety during intubations and emergency operations, routine surgeries and other medical procedures, especially as Michigan hospitals are overwhelmed with record-breaking numbers of patients amid high COVID-19 cases, said the Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists in a Monday news release.

“Michiganders are falling behind in getting preventative care, and it’s more important than ever to have physicians administering care, diagnosing illnesses and providing anesthesia for critical procedures,” MSA President Dr. Neeju Ravikant said in a statement. “Sunday marked the beginning of Physician Anesthesiologists Week 2022, when we celebrate the hard work physician anesthesiologists do both in the health care environment and in our communities to promote health, safety and wellness.”

The week runs through Saturday.

Physician anesthesiologists are medically trained experts who can diagnose and treat medical issues before, during and after complex procedures and anesthetics, MSA said. They have a minimum of 12 years of education and medical training, all focused on assuming full and independent responsibility for patient care.

The MSA represents nearly 1,000 anesthesiologists in Michigan, who practice in a variety of care settings including hospitals, freestanding surgery centers and inside doctor’s offices. They lead anesthesiology teams in operating rooms, labor and delivery units, intensive care units, and units where patients receive colonoscopies, cardiac catherization and other procedures.

“As anesthesiologists, we’re entrusted with caring for our patients when they are at their most vulnerable — a responsibility that we take very seriously,” Ravikant said. “MSA members are proud to lead anesthesia teams with the coordinated inputs of physicians, nurses and other health care professionals to ensure Michiganders receive the highest quality care possible.”