Under Michigan Executive Order 2020-91, when an employee is identified with a confirmed case of COVID-19, employers must notify the local public health department within 24 hours.
Once the health department is notified of a positive case of COVID-19, staff will contact the patient to identify individuals with whom the patient has been in contact during the time they were infectious (which includes the 48 hours before the onset of symptoms or date of a positive test if symptoms are not present) to determine who is a close contact*. After an individual is identified as a close contact, the health department will call them to notify them of their contact to a confirmed case of COVID-19 and provide instructions for the recommended 14-day quarantine period. A quarantine release letter/e-mail will be sent to the high-risk contact once they have completed the 14 days and are free of symptoms.If a patient is identified as having worked during their infectious period, health department staff will ask the patient to provide contact information for their supervisor/manager so health department staff can work together with this individual to identify co-workers who meet the criteria for being a close contact.
*Close contact is defined as any physical contact or prolonged close contact (being within six feet for 15 minutes or more) with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 during their infectious period.
If an employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, they should stay home and report the symptoms to their healthcare provider. They should not come to work when they are sick.
Please see the Workplace Checklist for information about when it’s safe for an employee to return to work.
Screeners do not have to be human resources staff members. Other staff members can serve as screeners as long as they are provided proper instructions and PPE.
If an employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, they should stay home and report the symptoms to their healthcare provider. They should not come to work when they are sick simply for the health check.
If the employee is experiencing coronavirus symptoms (i.e. fever, cough, or difficulty breathing), they may be eligible for testing. They should consult their primary care provider to determine if they should seek further care, including possible testing for COVID-19.
If symptoms become severe, the employee should seek medical care, but should call ahead to the provider or hospital so they can make arrangements to limit exposure to others during arrival. Inform the 911 dispatcher in an emergency situation.
The number of thermometers you need will depend on the size of your workforce, frequency of shift changes, number of screeners you plan to use at the start of every shift and the type of thermometers you are using.
Non-contact thermometers allow the greatest efficiency because they are immediately reusable without sanitizing between employees.
Smaller employers can make cloth masks for their employees or provide employees with proper fabric and instructions to make their masks before returning to work. Instructions on making your own mask can be found here, including a video tutorial on how to make a no-sew mask.
The State of Michigan also has resources to assist Michigan businesses on procuring the PPE needed to reopen their facilities.
For a list of local personal protection equipment (PPE) resources, please visit the Lansing Regional Chamber Resources page.