County Board Gets COVID-19 Update

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We’re going to be staying six feet apart, wearing masks, and washing our hands frequently for a lot longer. That was the message from Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten to the Berrien County Board of Commissioners this week. She said if things reopen on May 1, it’s not going to be like flipping a light switch, but more like a dimmer switch.

“No matter which path we take for reopening, we’re going to have to contend with the fact that immunity to this virus by members of our public is going to be the only thing that will stop transmission,” Britten said.

Britten also clarified the situation with testing. The governor announced this week any essential workers who have been going to work throughout this disaster can be tested. However…

“With testing and even with some of the recommendations even for asymptomatic essential workers to be able to be tested, there’s a lot of caveats, there’s a lot of things we all need to understand about when it would be valuable to test.”

Britten said tests remain in too short of a supply to be testing everyone. She also noted a COVID-19 test will only tell you where you stood at the moment you were tested, which makes the need for more tests all the greater. She told the county board the key to moving forward safely will be contact tracing and testing.

Meanwhile, Intercare has sent us the following statement when it comes to being tested for COVID-19:

“The fastest and most efficient way to get tested at InterCare would be to come to the drive-thru in Benton Harbor between 9AM-4PM, Monday through Friday with an order from your healthcare provider. If you are not able to obtain an order we will assess you when you arrive and test you if appropriate following current guidelines from the state of Michigan.  Services will be provided regardless of primary care provider, insurance coverage or ability to pay.”