Complete Story
10/14/2020
Updates from Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky
Ohio State Updates: 10/7 - 10/13
The Ohio Department Administrative Services (DAS) launched the Ohio Women’s Enterprise Certification (WBE). This first-of-its-kind certification will allow women-owned businesses to seek certification from the Equal Employment Opportunity office at DAS.
Gov. DeWine cautioned that the continuing increase in COVID-19 cases indicates that significant numbers of infections are likely this winter unless citizens take steps to mitigate and control the spread of the virus. "Although a vaccine is on the way in the future, we can't control the timetable of the development of a vaccine, but we can control how much this flares up until then," said Governor DeWine.
Gov. DeWine discussed plans for Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 antigen screening tests that the federal government is providing to Ohio. Ohio is deploying thousands of these screening tests to colleges and universities to help them implement proactive screening plans. Next week, Ohio will begin sending tens of thousands of screening tests to nursing homes for both routine and outbreak testing requirements.
The governor continued a travel advisory for all individuals coming into Ohio from states reporting positive COVID-19 testing rates of 15% or higher. Those traveling from one of the following states should self-quarantine for 14 days at home or in a hotel: Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nevada, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The self-quarantine recommendation applies to those who live in Ohio and to people who are traveling into Ohio from any of these states. Ohio's positivity rate, an indicator of the percentage of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 was 4.0% over the last 7 days (up from 3.3%). Visit www.coronavirus.ohio.gov for tips on how to effectively quarantine.
Ohio recorded another increase in new COVID-19 cases, with an average of 1,563 new cases per day over the last 7 days compared to an average of 1,252 new cases per day over the previous 7 days.
Michigan State Updates: 10/7 - 10/13
Governor Whitmer takes action to protect workers, keep workplaces safe from COVID-19
Source: Michigan Executive Office of the Governor, October 14, 2020
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) within the Michigan Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) is one of the first state OSHA programs to promulgate rules which clarify the safety requirements employers must follow to protect their employees from COVID-19. Governor Gretchen Whitmer today signed her concurrence of the need for a comprehensive set of Emergency Rules that will help protect Michigan workers, businesses, customers and communities from the spread of COVID-19.
“While most Michigan job providers are doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19, these rules provide them with clarity regarding the necessary requirements to keep their workplaces safe and their employees healthy,” said Gov. Whitmer. “I will continue to work around the clock with my partners in labor and business to ensure protections for every Michigan worker.”
Under the Emergency Rules, businesses that resume in-person work must, among other things, have a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan and provide thorough training to their employees that covers, at a minimum, workplace infection-control practices, the proper use of personal protection equipment (PPE), steps workers must take to notify the business or operation of any symptoms of COVID-19 or a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, and how to report unsafe working conditions.
The good news is that we already have a COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan. PRINTING United Alliance has prepared this comprehensive “plug & play” toolkit that provides companies with policies, procedures, and guidelines to implement best practices in your workplace to address COVID-19 exposure.
The COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan includes:
- Step-by-step company action plan
- Guides on how to sanitize, ventilate, and reduce employee interaction to minimize exposure risks
- OSHA recordkeeping requirements
- A complete safe operations checklist
- Templates for communicating with employees, customers, and vendors
- Visitor questionnaire and privacy notice
- Guide on how to perform contact tracing, and more
Additional Updates from Michigan
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Robert Gordon issued an Emergency Order under section 2253 of the Public Health Code restricting gathering sizes, requiring face coverings in public spaces and childcare facilities, placing capacity limitations on stores, bars and other public venues and providing for safer workplaces. This order is effective immediately and remains in effect through Friday, Oct. 30.
Under the new MDHHS order:
- Masks must be worn at any gatherings occurring at businesses, offices, schools, childcare facilities, sporting events and other non-residential events.
- Capacity limits apply to indoor gatherings, including business, social and recreational.
- Capacity limits also apply to outdoor gatherings but are less strict.
- Restaurants and bars have capacity limits for gatherings and may only serve alcohol to parties who are seated, six feet apart, and remain separate.
- Organized sports require face coverings and have gathering limits.
- Individuals who are in isolation or quarantine because of COVID-19 exposure, symptoms, or test results cannot go to work with others, and employers cannot require them to come to work in person with anyone else present.
Violations of this order are a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than six months or a fine of not more than $200, or both. Violations of this order are also punishable by a civil fine of up to $1,000.
The Michigan Senate passed an amended legislative package of bills that will provide coronavirus liability protections to businesses during an overnight session and after hours of negotiations between legislative leadership and the governor's office. Legislation allowing public bodies to meet remotely, implementing task force recommendations on housing COVID-19 patients in centers run by nursing homes and extending unemployment benefits also were decided during the lengthy session day.
The unemployment bill would waive the requirement that an unemployed person be actively seeking work if they are laid off and the employer says it is temporary, allow work-share plans to continue and put in COVID-related reasons a person may have involuntarily left work for medical reasons, like they had close contact with a COVID-positive person or they needed to care for someone with the coronavirus.
Kentucky State Updates: 9/30 - 10/6
Back in August, First Lady Beshear and Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman launched Coverings for Kids, an initiative to collect and distribute masks for students as they return to in-person instruction. She noted that face coverings remain the best line of defense against COVID-19 that everyone can take. The Coverings for Kids initiative is providing this crucial tool to families in need and an extra pool of resources for teachers and schools. For information on how to make and donate masks to the program, click here.
Lt. Governor Coleman announced that over $1 million in aid has been given to Kentuckians through the Team Kentucky Fund, which was created by Governor Beshear to help Kentuckians who suffered a financial loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have been affected financially by COVID-19, visit TeamKyFund.ky.gov to apply. If you want to help your fellow Kentuckians, visit donate.ky.gov to give. Each gift is tax deductible and 100% goes directly to Kentuckians.
Tuesday marked the beginning of early voting in Kentucky ahead of the November 3 General Election. Governor Beshear continues to encourage all eligible voters to make a plan to cast a ballot, either by sending in a previously requested absentee ballot, voting early in person or in person on the day of the election. “Remember, there are three weeks to vote early, before Election Day, and there are even Saturday hours,” the Governor said. “Pick a time. Make a plan of when you’re going to go vote.”
New COVID-19 cases have increased in Kentucky again this week, with an average of 889 new cases per day over the last 7 days compared to an average of 831 new cases per day over the previous 7 days. Day-to-day numbers continue to fluctuate.
