ESCANABA — The Delta County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency in the county and approved a response policy for pandemics and epidemics Tuesday.

Commissioners unanimously voted to authorize Board Chair Patrick Johnson to sign a declaration of emergency for Delta County.

“On March 17, 2020 the County of Delta has declared a Local State of Emergency due to the on-going health emergency involving the COVID-19 Coronavirus which is beginning to aggressively spread throughout the State of Michigan and the United States,” the declaration read.

The declaration went on to state that — despite efforts on the state and federal levels — local resources are not sufficient to deal with the situation. Because of this, the county requested state assistance with local response and recovery efforts. Requests include test kits, N95 masks, hand sanitizer, thermometers and personal care items; possible support staff and/or funding to manage the county’s COVID-19 response; economic recovery resources; and, potentially, mental health support counseling for affected people in the area.

The declaration went into effect immediately. Delta County Emergency Management Coordinator Paul Geyer will serve as a liaison and coordinate with state and federal authorities on matters related to the declaration.

A pandemic/epidemic response policy was unanimously approved by commissioners Tuesday, as well.

“It is the intent of the County of Delta to protect its employees and the general public from communicable diseases and to respond to the effects of a pandemic or an epidemic,” the policy stated regarding its purpose.