First Muskegon County Case of COVID-19 Confirmed

Muskegon, MI – Testing through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has identified Muskegon County’s first presumptive positive case for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The presumptive positive case is an adult female. No other information is available at this time. Public Health – Muskegon County (PHMC) officials are working on the investigation and contacting people who have been in close contact with the case. Close contacts will be assessed for symptoms, instructed to self-quarantine and monitored appropriately.

“The uncertainty of the situation brings a great deal of anxiety to everyone,” said Mark Eisenbarth, Muskegon County Administrator. “We need your help in following the Executive Orders of Governor Gretchen Whitmer in an effort to protect all the citizens of Muskegon Count.”

“We’ve been anticipating and expecting the confirmation of COVID-19 in our community,” said Kathy Moore, Muskegon County Health Officer. “To slow the potential spread it’s critical for the public to comply with public health orders and practice common sense precautions.”

PHMC has been collaborating with several partners in preparation for this development.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, people should wash their hands, stay home when sick, avoid close contact with sick people, cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and disinfect commonly touched surfaces.

COVID-19 symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

The Health Department and all local officials are relying on our community to work together to slow the potential spread of illness and refer to official sources of reliable information. For local updates, visit muskegonhealth.net. Trusted information can also be found at www.michigan.gov/coronavirus and www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/.