Testing in Albion
Over the weekend, Calhoun County Public Health Department partnered with the National Guard, Michigan State Police, City of Albion, Albion Michigan Ministerial Association, Albion NAACP, and others to host a COVID-19 testing event at Opport
unity High School in Albion. The event exceeded the expected community turnout and moved smoothly to keep all 694 people who came out to be tested efficiently with minimum waiting.
"The community suppor
t and engagement that was shown, especially by multiple volunteers and with access to necessary supplies, ensured the success of this testing event," said Brigette Reichenbaugh, CCPHD Deputy Health Officer.
Tests have been sent for lab processin
g, and CCPHD expects to begin receiving test results as early as Tuesday. All participants should expect a call from CCPHD staff or the National Guard to inform them of their results and talk through any necessary guidance.
Additional mass-testing events in Calhoun County are being planned to allow everyone who wants a test to be tested for the COVID-19 virus. These events will be announced through the Calhoun County Joint Information Center, and on the CCPHD Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/CCPublicHealthDepartment
.
If you have been tested for COVID-19 and your results come back negative, that means you were not sick with COVID-19 at the moment you were tested. If in the days following you were exposed to the virus, you can still become ill later. If you are tested and receive negative results, but later you begin to feel sick, talk to a doctor about your symptoms.
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.
Pictured are Calhoun County District 7 (Albion) Commissioner Gary Tompkins, left, with Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, who visited the testing event on Sunday.
Continuing to Fight the Spread of COVID-19
COVID-19 continues its spread in Michigan. The commitment this community has taken in following CDC and Health Department guidance has helped to slow the spread, but unfortunately, the fight is not over.
“We’re already seeing the effects of people prematurely relaxing their approach to social distancing from Memorial Day weekend,” said Eric Pessell, Calhoun County Health Officer. “We don’t want to see this jump back up. The rise in cases we started seeing at the end of last week is not one we want to see continue to climb.”
Consider the impact your actions have. We have seen evidence elsewhere in the world that it takes only one person choosing not to follow social distancing guidance to spread the illness to dozens, with serious and deadly outcomes in many cases.
CCPHD asks residents to remember CDC guidance, and stay vigilant:
- Stay at home unless you need essential items, like groceries or medications.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Wear a mask, or other cloth face covering, whenever you are in a public place.
- Practice social distancing by staying at least six feet away from people outside your household, when you are outside your home.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw that in the trash and wash your hands.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects, like door knobs, light switches, and desk items.
