ESCANABA — Public Health, Delta and Menominee Counties (PHDM) has encouraged local businesses and organizations exempted under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order to start screening their employees for symptoms of COVID-19.

As of March 25, Oakland County, Michigan had 543 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 10 deaths attributed to the virus. To control and limit coronavirus’ spread, the Oakland County Health Division issued an emergency order requiring all businesses and operations open under Whitmer’s executive order to implement daily screening programs for their employees.

Under the emergency order, screening programs in Oakland County must ask employees:

– If they have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat and/or diarrhea.

– If they have had close contact over the past 14 days with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19.

– If they had traveled internationally or domestically in the past 14 days.

Workers in Oakland County who answer any of these questions affirmatively must be sent home. They will be able to return to work after either three days with no fever, seven days since their first symptom began, or 14 days if they have had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or had traveled.

Additionally, under another executive order signed by Whitmer on March 15, all healthcare facilities, residential care facilities, congregate care facilities and juvenile justice facilities are required to perform a health evaluation of all people not under these facilities’ care each time they seek to enter. This includes employees of the facilities.

PHDM officials stated that — though the counties of Delta and Menominee had not seen the same level of community spread of COVID-19 that Oakland County has — the counties wish to avoid being in a similar situation in the future. Because of this, the department said businesses staying open in these counties while the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order is in effect should take similar steps to protect their essential employees and their customers.

“While we have no confirmed cases in Delta or Menominee Counties, it is up to every citizen in our counties to remain vigilant and help protect each other from this horrible virus. This recommendation will help to do that,” Delta County Board of Commissioners Chair and local business owner Patrick Johnson stated in the press release.

Johnson also noted PHDM’s suggestion was voluntary, but that he hopes it is taken seriously.

According to PHDM Health Officer Mike Snyder, the department’s recommendation was made in response to Oakland County’s emergency order.

“This idea was brought to me by a member of our board of health … we discussed it and decided to issue a recommendation as opposed to an emergency order similar to Oakland County’s,” Snyder said.

The decision was made based on the fact that, as of Friday morning, no cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in Delta County or Menominee County.

Snyder said the measure is intended to slow the spread of coronavirus in the area.

“The benefit would be to make sure sick people aren’t coming into the workplace and interacting with coworkers and customers,” he said.

He added a number of businesses in the area, including some daycare facilities, had voluntarily implemented screening programs before PHDM made its recommendation.

For any questions on employee screening or COVID-19, call PHDM at 906-786-4111.