FYI – MDHHS has Community Based Pop-Up Rapid Antigen Testing Events: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/resources/k-12-school-opening-guidance/... If an organization is interested in hosting a testing pop up event, please reach out to MDHHS-COVIDTESTINGSUPPORT@michigan.gov<mailto:MDHHS-COVIDTESTINGSUPPORT@michigan.gov> for further information. Cathy Lancaster Youth Services Coordinator Library of Michigan 702 W. Kalamazoo St. Lansing, MI 48915 My Pronouns: She/Her/Hers - See www.mypronouns.org<http://www.mypronouns.org/> to learn more. LancasterC5@michigan.gov<mailto:LancasterC5@michigan.gov> | 517-335-8129 | www.mi.gov/libraryofmichigan<http://www.mi.gov/libraryofmichigan> Follow us: Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/libraryofmichigan/> | Twitter<https://twitter.com/libraryofmich> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/libraryofmichigan/> Join the MiYouth<http://mail2.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/miyouth> Listserv, created for Michigan public library staff to share and discuss children and teen programming and services. [Michigan.gov/Vote logo Description automatically generated]<https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/> Get personalized voter information on early voting and other topics at Michigan.gov/Vote<https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/>. From: Michlib-l <michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org> On Behalf Of Membiela, Clare (MDE) via Michlib-l Sent: Thursday, January 4, 2024 1:46 PM To: Mary Gallup <director@clinton.lib.mi.us> Cc: Rachel Smith (Roseville Public Library) <rsmith@roseville-mi.gov>; michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: Re: [Michlib-l] COVID and Respiratory Illnesses increasing in MI CAUTION: This is an External email. Please send suspicious emails to abuse@michigan.gov<mailto:abuse@michigan.gov> I will find out! However, you could encourage patrons to obtain free tests and information on free testing at https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/testing/index.html People can obtain up to 8 free tests. Thanks! Clare Clare D. Membiela, MLS, J.D. Library Law Consultant Library of Michigan MembielaC@michigan.gov<mailto:MembielaC@michigan.gov> 517-335-8132 The research and resources above are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation,it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion….” West Va. Bd. Of Ed. V. Barnette, 319 U.S., at 642. The Michigan School Meals program allows for all public school students, grades Pre-K to 12, to eat breakfast and lunch for free. Learn more<https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/food/michigan-school-meals>. [cid:image004.jpg@01DA4EDB.E5AA0460] From: Mary Gallup <director@clinton.lib.mi.us<mailto:director@clinton.lib.mi.us>> Sent: Thursday, January 4, 2024 1:43 PM To: Membiela, Clare (MDE) <MembielaC@michigan.gov<mailto:MembielaC@michigan.gov>> Cc: Rachel Smith (Roseville Public Library) <rsmith@roseville-mi.gov<mailto:rsmith@roseville-mi.gov>>; michlib-l@mcls.org<mailto:michlib-l@mcls.org> Subject: Re: [Michlib-l] COVID and Respiratory Illnesses increasing in MI CAUTION: This is an External email. Please send suspicious emails to abuse@michigan.gov<mailto:abuse@michigan.gov> We are starting to run low on our Covid test kits that were sent to us in the fall. Does anyone know if the state is planning on sending out more? Mary Gallup Director Clinton Township Public Library 100 Brown St. Clinton MI 49236 On Thu, Jan 4, 2024 at 1:40 PM Membiela, Clare (MDE) via Michlib-l <michlib-l@mcls.org<mailto:michlib-l@mcls.org>> wrote: Thanks Rachel! 😊 Clare Clare D. Membiela, MLS, J.D. Library Law Consultant Library of Michigan MembielaC@michigan.gov<mailto:MembielaC@michigan.gov> 517-335-8132 The research and resources above are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation,it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion….” West Va. Bd. Of Ed. V. Barnette, 319 U.S., at 642. The Michigan School Meals program allows for all public school students, grades Pre-K to 12, to eat breakfast and lunch for free. Learn more<https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/food/michigan-school-meals>. [cid:image004.jpg@01DA4EDB.E5AA0460] From: Rachel Smith (Roseville Public Library) <rsmith@roseville-mi.gov<mailto:rsmith@roseville-mi.gov>> Sent: Thursday, January 4, 2024 1:35 PM To: michlib-l@mcls.org<mailto:michlib-l@mcls.org>; Membiela, Clare (MDE) <MembielaC@michigan.gov<mailto:MembielaC@michigan.gov>> Subject: Re: COVID and Respiratory Illnesses increasing in MI CAUTION: This is an External email. Please send suspicious emails to abuse@michigan.gov<mailto:abuse@michigan.gov> In terms of COVID levels and risk assessment, the CDC's Wastewater Surveillance Monitoring website (link further down) will give you a more accurate look at COVID levels in the Nation, Region, & State. The CDC Respirator Illnesses page that Clare just shared uses hospital admissions as its metric for COVID levels, whereas Wastewater Surveillance is actively testing all wastewater that comes through the treatment sites. It is a more accurate look at all currently active COVID cases (even if they don't show symptoms, haven't tested themselves for COVID, or have not gone to the hospital for symptoms - remember that asymptomatic cases account for almost half of all infections). Using this metric, the entire country is Very High (also keeping in mind we do not have post-holiday numbers yet). The CDC recently updated and re-released Wastewater Tracking Data for COVID-19 cases. This is considered the most effective way to trace levels of COVID within communities, as it is not dependent on people having access to and taking PCR tests and it can detect asymptomatic & pre-symptomatic COVID cases. Wastewater data can provide: * A community-level perspective on what diseases are circulating locally * An early warning that levels of infections are increasing or decreasing in a community * An efficient, easy approach that doesn’t require visiting a doctor or getting tested for an infectious disease * Data for communities where patients aren’t always able to get tested for infectious diseases. State and local health officials track a variety of data and put this information together to understand the local situation and decide how to best respond to prevent disease spread. Public health officials watch for sustained increasing levels of specific viruses or bacteria in wastewater and use these data to alert clinicians, hospitals, and the community so that they can quickly take appropriate action to safeguard people’s health. CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) collects, analyses, and shares data on multiple viruses and bacteria in wastewater, including SARS-CoV-2 and mpox. NWSS updates the data weekly and makes data available on wastewater data dashboards. This data can allow people to make the most informed decisions about infection risks. Here's how to read the numbers in the data chart: About the Wastewater Viral Activity Level: The Wastewater Viral Activity Level is a calculated measure that allows us to aggregate wastewater sample data to get state/territorial, regional, and national levels and see trends over time. Most simply, the value associated with the Wastewater Viral Activity Level is the number of standard deviations above the baseline, transformed to the linear scale. The current Wastewater Viral Activity Level for each state and territory is categorized into minimal, low, moderate, high, or very high as follows: a Wastewater Viral Activity Level less than 1.5 is categorized as minimal, greater than 1.5 and up to 3 is low, greater than 3 and up to 4.5 is moderate, greater than 4.5 and up to 8 is high, and greater than 8 is very high. Easy Reference: <1.5 - Minimal 1.5-3 - Low 3-4.5 - Moderate 4.5-8 - High
8 - Very High
Nationwide, we are currently at 11 - Very High. Which is the highest it has been since January 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-nationaltrend.html In Michigan, we are currently at 12 - Very High. Which is the highest it has been since almost exactly a year ago, December 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-statetrend.html#print (Select Michigan in the dropdown menu) The Iowa COVID-19 Tracker is also a great COVID tracking site, which pulls from CDC's wastewater data and a few other sources: https://iowacovid19tracker.org/ The current predictions are that nationwide, we will hit 2 million daily cases by next week (Jan 7-13, 2024), for a total of about 100 million COVID cases (or 1 in every 3 people will be infected) throughout this wave. We have not seen this level of widespread infection since the first Omicron wave. Be safe everyone! Best, Rachel __________________________ Rachel Smith Adult Services Librarian/Archivist Roseville Public Library My Pronouns: She/Her/Hers - See www.mypronouns.org<http://www.mypronouns.org/> to learn more. My working day may not be your working day. Please do not feel obligated to reply to this email outside of your normal working hours. Archives Office Hours by Appointment Only (Please call/email in advance) http://rosevillelibrary.org/wordpress/library-archives/ 29777 Gratiot Avenue Roseville, MI 48066 586-447-4560 (Archives) 586-445-5407 (Library General Information) [cid:image005.png@01DA4EDB.E5AA0460] ________________________________ From: Michlib-l <michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org<mailto:michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org>> on behalf of Membiela, Clare (MDE) via Michlib-l <michlib-l@mcls.org<mailto:michlib-l@mcls.org>> Sent: Thursday, January 4, 2024 12:05 PM To: michlib-l@mcls.org<mailto:michlib-l@mcls.org> <michlib-l@mcls.org<mailto:michlib-l@mcls.org>> Subject: [Michlib-l] COVID and Respiratory Illnesses increasing in MI Hello and Happy New Year! Just a reminder that Respiratory illnesses are on the rise, including COVID, FLU and RSV. Many counties in MI are now at moderate levels of infection from one or more of these viruses. Libraries are encouraged to review their county’s status and other resources available for identifying and mitigating these illnesses at https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/index.html Take care and be well! Clare Clare D. Membiela, MLS, J.D. Library Law Consultant Library of Michigan MembielaC@michigan.gov<mailto:MembielaC@michigan.gov> 517-335-8132 The research and resources above are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation,it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion….” West Va. Bd. Of Ed. V. Barnette, 319 U.S., at 642. The Michigan School Meals program allows for all public school students, grades Pre-K to 12, to eat breakfast and lunch for free. Learn more<https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/food/michigan-school-meals>. [cid:image004.jpg@01DA4EDB.E5AA0460] _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org<mailto:Michlib-l@mcls.org> https://mail3.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
