IMPORTANT BUSINESS UPDATE
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Governor Extends Order Temporarily Suspending Evictions
Executive Order 2020-85 temporarily extends protections for tenants and mobile home owners from being evicted from their home during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
Executive Order 2020-85 ensures tenants and mobile home owners can remain in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, even if they are unable to pay their rent. The order also relieves courts from certain statutory restrictions so they can stay eviction-related proceedings until after the COVID-19 emergency has passed.
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Talecris Plasma Resources in Saginaw, a Grifols Biomat USA and Plasma Donor Center is Accepting Donations from People Who Have Recovered from COVID-19
Potential donors can call 866-END-CV19 to learn more about donating convalescent plasma to produce a hyperimmune globulin medicine for potentially treating COVID-19
Grifols, a global healthcare company with a track record of more than 100 years and a recognized leader in the development and production of plasma-derived medicines, has announced it has begun identifying, screening and selecting volunteer donors who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate their plasma at Grifols Biomat USA centers in the Saginaw MI area, and other U.S. cities.
The plasma will be used to produce a hyperimmune globulin that, if proven effective, could potentially treat the disease. This initiative is a result of a collaboration between Grifols, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research Authority (BARDA), and other Federal health agencies.
Hyperimmune globulins are plasma derived-medicines that are effective in the treatment of severe acute infections. Through the concentration of antibodies from plasma collected from recovered COVID-19 individuals, the hyperimmune globulin can offer precise and consistent dosing with high purity, high potency and a strong safety profile that may help current patients’ immune systems respond to the infection.
“For individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, donating plasma at one of Grifols’ donor centers to produce a potential treatment for the disease is a way they can help make a difference during this exceptional time,” said Dr. Marilyn Rosa-Bray, Grifols Chief Medical Officer and Vice President Quality, Regulatory Compliance & Laboratories. “This hyperimmune globulin would offer treating physicians a predictable and consistent dosing of the antibody against the virus that causes COVID-19.”
Grifols is acting with urgency in this global crisis and volunteering its expertise and resources to the project. The resulting anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin will then undergo controlled clinical trials with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate its safety and efficacy as a viable treatment for COVID-19.
Grifols is collecting convalescent plasma from potential donors in more than 100 cities across the country that have had a high number of COVID-19 cases, including Saginaw and the surrounding area. More COVID-19 donation locations will be announced in the near future.
Recovered COVID-19 individuals interested in donating should call 1-866-END-CV19 where trained Grifols specialists will prescreen potential donors and direct them to their local Grifols plasma donor center. Interested donors must have a diagnosis made with a test (nasal swab or blood) and complete resolution of COVID-19 symptoms at least 28 days prior to donation, or complete resolution of symptoms at least 14 days prior to donation along with a negative molecular test for COVID-19, as well as meet our routine eligibility criteria for normal source plasma donation. To learn more visit
www.grifolsplasma.com
.
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Executive Order Expands Telehealth Options for Michiganders
Executive Order 2020-86 expands telehealth options for Michiganders by authorizing and encouraging health care providers to use these services when appropriate and after getting consent from patients. The order takes effect immediately and continues through June 10, 2020.
“Telehealth provides a way for patients to safely consult with their doctor and receive health care services while continuing to practice social distancing and limit potential exposure to COVID-19,” Governor Whitmer said.
Under Executive Order 2020-86, many health care services, such as mental health care, drug treatment, and home health services may be provided via telehealth. Additionally, insurance carriers must cover virtual check-ins and e-visits, to facilitate the affordability of telehealth services.
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Whitmer Signs Executive Order Providing Relief from Tax Appeals Deadlines One Day After House Committee on Local Government and Municipal Finance Approved HB 5766
Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-87 one day after the House committee on Local Government and Municipal Finance unanimously approved the Michigan Chamber of Commerce initiated HB 5766.
The Executive Order and the House Bill provide extended opportunity for individuals to dispute the assessed value of their property. Executive Order 2020-87 additionally extends certain equalization filing and meeting deadlines for local and county officials, and extends the deadline for filing petitions to appeal assessment determinations as to commercial and industrial property.
Under Executive Order 2020-87, boards of review meeting in July will also meet to hear assessment protests for individuals who were not able to file protests in March. Additionally, the May 31 jurisdictional deadline to file a petition with the Michigan Tax Tribunal to challenge assessment determination to properties classified as commercial real property, industrial real property, developmental real property, commercial personal property, industrial personal property or utility personal property is extended to July 31. This Order, however, does not change or otherwise affect the July 31 jurisdictional deadline for assessment disputes of property classified as agricultural real property, residential real property, timber-cutover real property or agricultural personal property.
According to a May 14 press release, The Michigan Chamber will continue to push for the passage of HB 5766 on their originally planned and expedited schedule, because some attorneys for local governments are arguing that even with an Executive Order they will move to dismiss any appeal filed after the May 31st statutory deadline.
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Governor Signs Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act Bill 5496 into Law
House Bill 5496 amends the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to make technical corrections to certain definitions in Part 115, Solid Waste Management, related to the regulation of coal ash landfills. These changes will provide consistency with the federal rule governing the disposal of coal combustion residuals from electric utilities. The bill was sponsored by Representative Gary Howell (R – North Branch).
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Governor Announces Process to Chart Path for the Safe and Equitable Reopening of Schools
Creates a Return to Learn Advisory Council
Governor Whitmer has announced the creation of the Return to Learning Advisory Council with Executive Order 2020-88 which formalizes a process for determining how schools may be able to reopen in the fall.The panel – which will be comprised of students, parents, frontline educators, administrators and public health officials – will be tasked with providing the COVID-19 Task Force on Education within the State Emergency Operations Center with recommendations on how to safely, equitably, and efficiently return to school in the Fall. The State of Michigan will also partner with a national nonprofit organization called Opportunity Labs to bring national expertise to this project.
Governor Whitmer said, “This panel will use a data-informed and science-based approach with input from epidemiologists to determine if, when, and how students can return to school this fall and what that will look like.”
The panel will be made up of more than 20 members representing K-12 administrators and educators, health experts and community stakeholders.
Anyone interested can apply for the Return to Learn Advisory Council by going to
Michigan.gov/appointments
and click ‘apply now’ under boards and commissions. You will be able to choose Return to School Advisory Council under the appointment information tab within the application. Applications are due by Wednesday, May 20.
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MIOSHA Issues Workplace Guidelines - New Hotline to Protect Michigan Workers
As the curve continues to flatten and many businesses reopen their doors, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) within the Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) issued workplace guidelines for
employers
and
employees
and created a new hotline, 855-SAFEC19 (855-723-3219), to answer guideline questions and further protect Michigan’s workforce from the spread of COVID-19.
Additionally, MIOSHA provides further clarification the construction and manufacturing sectors must take to protect workers that have returned to work. The State of Michigan’s Workplace Safety Guidelines can be found on LEO’s homepage at Michigan.gov/LEO.
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Resources for Business and the Community
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The Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce maintains a list of federal, state, and local resources that provide aid and information for your business, employees and our community during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. This information is ever-changing, please check the Chamber's
website,
Facebook, and your email frequently.
We will add links, resources, and updates as information becomes available. We are also converting our At A Glance Newsletter to include Coronavirus links and information as well as local updates, job availability, member coupons and most importantly Member News. Please let us know what your business is doing and how you are functioning during this uncertain time. We need to stay connected and support each other.
Reopening Plan Templates, Playbooks, and Best Practices can be found on the Saginaw Chamber/Saginaw Future joint
Reopening Business Playbook page.
If you are offering a service to help the Saginaw County Community or local businesses weather this storm, please email your information to
info@saginawchamber.org.
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Thank you and stay healthy.
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