Joint Information Center
Monday, June 8, 2020
As of 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 8, Calhoun County has a cumulative total of 414 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported to Calhoun County Public Health Department (CCPHD), with a total of 25 deaths attributed to the virus.


Mass Testing Events and Result Follow-up
Over the weekend, CCPHD partnered with the Michigan National Guard, the City of Battle Creek, CERT, Kellogg Community College, and Michigan State Police to host a COVID-19 testing event at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek. Thanks to careful planning, the event moved smoothly to keep all 1,229 people who came out to be tested efficiently with little to no wait. Tests have been sent for lab processing, and CCPHD hopes to begin receiving test results in the coming days.

All participants from both this and the previous weekend’s testing event in Albion should expect a call from CCPHD staff or the National Guard to inform them of their results and talk through any necessary guidance. Answering these calls is vital to the work of public health – answering allows you to talk through your test results and ask any questions you may have. Answering also allows us to conduct the important work of contact tracing to track the spread of the disease and stop that spread with early intervention. These discussions are protected by HIPAA and are confidential.

The lab used to process all samples taken at both mass testing events is called BioReference Labs. The turn around for results from the May 30/31 in Albion is taking longer than we hoped, and as we await results, BioReference has shared instructions for participants who might like to create a free account through them. For those so inclined, creating an account will allow you to get updates about your results, and e-mail their team to ask any questions you may have. Instructions provided are as follows:

  1. Go to bioreference.com/patient-portal and select TEST RESULTS.
  2. Click the CREATE AN ACCOUNT button and complete the registration process.
  3. Results may not be available on the patient portal for up to 5-7 days after collection so please continue to check back regularly.

Calhoun County Administrator/Controller Kelli Scott took a test and on the Public Health Department's Facebook shared that receiving a test for COVID-19 is quick and painless. Click here for pictures of each step of the process. "I was happy to help show our community that getting tested is simple and doesn't hurt. It's important that Calhoun County residents get tested to better understand the spread of the virus in our community," said Scott.

The Public Health Department thanks everyone who was tested in the last two weekends at mass-testing events. Knowing where one person has a positive case of COVID-19 is not just helpful to the individual but to the entire community. Identifying a positive case allows the health department to reach out to others who have been in contact with that person, providing guidance and assistance to catch spread early, and allow those persons the best chance to recover safely at home. This knowledge also helps the health department track the spread of the disease, which informs how CCPHD frames the precautions and measures put into place to contain further COVID-19 cases. If we don’t know where the disease already is, we cannot predict how far it will go.

Thank you also to the partnering agencies and resources in our community that helped to bring testing availability to the Battle Creek area. CCPHD will continue to look for opportunities to provide access to testing in Calhoun County – future events will be shared through Joint Information Center briefings, such as this, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CCPublicHealthDepartment .


Food Vouchers Available for Veterans
Calhoun County Veterans Affairs is offering Meijer food vouchers for Calhoun County veterans who need assistance. Depending on household size, veterans can receive $50-150 for Meijer on a bi-weekly basis. This opportunity is provided by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. For more information, veterans should contact the CCVA Office by calling (269) 969-6734.
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For updates from Calhoun County, about County operations and COVID-19 in Calhoun County, visit the County website,  calhouncountymi.gov.

For updates from the City of Battle Creek, please visit  battlecreekmi.gov/coronavirus .

The State’s COVID-19 Hotline is available for anyone who has questions or concerns related to the virus. The hotline is open seven days a week from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 1-888-535-6136. For state COVID-19 information, visit  michigan.gov/coronavirus.
For information, contact
Lucy Blair, Calhoun County Communications Manager
269-781-0926,  lblair@calhouncountymi.gov

Jessica Vanderkolk, City of Battle Creek Communications Manager