COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency Health Officer Rebecca Burns told the agency’s Board of Health on Thursday that the COVID-19 outbreak at the Hillsdale Medical Care Facility seems to be under control.
At least 11 residents at the facility died after testing positive for COVID-19. That’s nearly half of the 24 COVID-19 related deaths that have been reported in Hillsdale County.
Every resident and facility staff member were tested earlier this month. Burns said of the 237 staff members, 15 tested positive after not showing signs or symptoms of the coronavirus. All of them went into self-isolation at home.
She added the Sturgis area seems to be having an uptick with most of them having ties to their workplace where the infection started and in some cases was brought back to a family.
They are working with Sturgis Hospital in putting out a special message to the Hispanic community to try to reach that community better.
With Indiana and Ohio reopening faster than Michigan, Burns says it is becoming more difficult to tell people to Stay Home and not gather in large groups. The latest figures from the State of Indiana show there have been over 1,000 cases in Elkhart County and another 1,100 cases in Indiana’s Saint Joseph County. Burns fears the virus will be brought back to Michigan by residents who head south.
Burns says at this point, they are continuing to work with those that are positive for COVID-19 or who have close contacts to try to stop further transmission.
