Lansing suspends employee travel, discourages meetings 

Schor: Sick employees will be sent home as Coronavirus spreads 

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THURSDAY, March 12 — Lansing Mayor Andy Schor is suspending travel plans for employees and discouraging face-to-face meetings after the first two cases of coronavirus were detected in Michigan. 

City officials released an internal “mitigation plan” today to prevent the spread of the virus at City Hall after two Michigan residents — from Wayne and Oakland counties — tested positive for the contagious respiratory disease earlier this week. The goal: keep employees and residents safe, Schor said. 

“I encourage everyone to do their part by having good hygiene and taking the appropriate steps to keep our friends, families, neighbors and co-workers safe,” Schor said in a press release. 

Among the steps to mitigate the disease’s spread, Schor has suspended all nonessential business travel outside of Clinton, Ingham and Eaton counties until further notice. All employees are also expected to stay home — or will be sent home — if they exhibit flu-like symptoms like fever, cough and shortness of breath, Schor said. Those without sick time will still receive sick leave but without pay, he said.  

Additionally, face-to-face meetings of three or more people are “discouraged,” Schor said. Accordingly, his office canceled a planned ribbon-cutting today at Capitol View Apartments, the old Oliver Towers, on Capitol Avenue. 

Council President Peter Spadafore hasn’t called off any upcoming meetings, but encouraged residents to stay away from Lansing City Hall and to watch public meetings from home. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday evening. Public comment will be accepted in written form and will still be read aloud into the record for each meeting. 

Spadafore and Council Vice President Adam Hussain today developed a contingency plan to cancel all standing committee meetings, instead shuffling all "essential" decisions to the Committee of the Whole and then to the full City Council. Spadafore said that plan will only be implemented if it's determined to be totally necessary. 

“We will continue to encourage proactive steps to prevent spread of infection,” Spadafore added. “City Council is required by charter to meet, but we will allow the interest of public health to guide our decision.” 

Schor said every city department will also provide facial tissues, gloves, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes in meetings, noting that all employees are expected to wash their hands and work areas as frequently as possible. A committee is also in the process of creating a plan for continued city operations should the virus spread locally. 

“While this is not time to panic, it is a time to prepare,” Spadafore said, noting Council meeting schedules will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. “The steps the mayor has taken today are necessary to ensure city employees, their families and Lansing residents minimize the risk as our nation deals with this emerging issue.” 

The city of Lansing is the latest to respond to the virus in Michigan after the World Health Organization labeled it a global pandemic and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Tuesday. The move is in line with a directive from Whitmer’s office to take caution and mitigate the spread. 

As of yesterday evening, only two patients statewide had tested positive for the virus and neither were from Ingham County. A total of 120 patients have been approved for testing and 150 remain in active monitoring, according to the latest data from the state of Michigan, with 28 of those tests still pending results today. 

Whitmer encourageanyone exhibiting symptoms of the disease to stay home from work and seek medical assistance. Residents are also encouraged to keep their hands clean, avoid touching their faces, avoiding contact with people who are sick and covering their mouths and noses with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. 

Whitmer’s recent state of emergency declaration is designed to provide state officials with access to additional funding to help prevent the spread of the disease. Local health departments will also be working to identify anyone who has been in contact with the two patients who tested positive for the disease this week, officials said. 

In the meantime, Michigan State University — among other colleges across the state — have called off all in-person classes until April 20. Students on campushave celebrated the cancellation and ignored public health warnings by swarming local bars in East Lansing. 

A Lansing Community College spokeswoman said officials will continue to monitor the spread of the disease. LCC is on Spring break till Monday. 

Visit michigan.gov/coronavirus for more details on the rapidly evolving coronavirus pandemic.  

 (Editor's Note: This story was updated to reflect a new City Council contingency plan. )

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