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Dear Friends,
As you know, the presence of COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on the recommended precautions and actions taken in order to lessen the impact of the virus on our state. My number one priority is to protect the well-being of my constituents. I encourage you to stay calm and stay informed. I understand your concerns about the impact these actions have had on communities and local businesses. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to my office at [email protected] or at 517-373-1777.
I want to share what is being done to protect people and our state. Things are changing rapidly, and this letter serves as a legislative update about the action we have taken to address the ever-evolving challenges with the coronavirus. I also want to take a moment to thank the wonderful health care professionals for their hard work and dedication to caring for their fellow Michiganders during this global pandemic. Your continued commitment to those in need is vital to us successfully meeting this unprecedented health care challenge.
I am staying in contact with state officials and health experts, so I can provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date information possible. I encourage you to also monitor www.michigan.gov/coronavirus for updates on this battle and for answers to frequently asked questions. My focus remains on ensuring that all Michigan residents are protected during this crisis.
We are all in this together and we will get through this.
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Kevin Daley
State Senator
31st District
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Daley disappointed in governors expanded “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order
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Yesterday, Gov. Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-42, extending her prior “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order through the end of April. As with the prior order, this limits gatherings and travel and requires all workers who are not necessary to sustain or protect life to stay home. Individuals may still do things like go to the store for groceries, go to the pharmacy and enjoy certain outdoor activities.
Executive Order 2020-42 contains more stringent limitations on stores to reduce the amount of traffic and limit interactions with workers and among shoppers. Large stores must limit the number of people in the store to four customers per every 1,000 square feet of customer floor space, while smaller stores must stay at or below 25% of the fire code occupancy limit. All stores are now also required to institute measures to ensure customers waiting for entry remain at least six feet apart.
The order also prohibits all businesses from requiring workers to leave their homes, unless those workers are necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations. Businesses who remain open are required to adopt social distancing practices and other measures to protect both workers and customers.
All public and private gatherings among persons outside a single household remain temporarily prohibited. Though you may leave the house to get groceries or needed supplies, the new order encourages people to limit the number of family members running errands as much as possible.
People may still engage in outdoor activities like walking, hiking, running, cycling, kayaking, canoeing, or any other recreational activity, so long as they continue to follow suggested guidelines like remaining at least six feet from people who do not live in their household and other restrictions imposed by prior executive orders. Travel for vacations or for any other purpose is now prohibited. Click here to read more about the governor’s recent executive order.
Michigan families have been forced to make tremendous sacrifices during this epidemic. They have sacrificed many of their freedoms and, in many cases, their livelihoods — and the governor’s executive order does not include the common-sense approach we need at this time.
While our battle continues, it is also time to begin planning for a transition back to our normal lives. There are certain parts of our state that could allow many workers to safely return to their jobs with updated safety protocols — which would be a much-needed step to getting people back to their daily lives and getting our economy back on track.
I encourage each of you to contact her office to share your thoughts on the most recent executive order. Click here for information on how to contact the governor's office.
I will continue to work with my Senate colleagues on a plan to slow the spread of this virus, protect our families, and get us back to work.
Other recent executive orders include:
EO-2020-37 - Temporary restrictions on entry into health care facilities, residential care facilities, congregate care facilities, and juvenile justice facilities — Rescission of Executive Order 2020-7. Read more here.
EO-2020-38 - Temporary extensions of certain FOIA deadlines to facilitate COVID-19 emergency response efforts. Read more here.
EO-2020-39 - Temporary relief from certain restrictions and requirements governing the provision of emergency medical services. Read more here.
EO-2020-40 - Temporary relief from certain credentialing requirements for motor carriers transporting essential supplies, equipment, and persons. Read more here.
EO-2020-41 - Encouraging the use of electronic signatures and remote notarization, witnessing, and visitation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.
Additional information on the governor’s executive orders and other state news can be found here.
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Governor ends in-person instruction for 2020 school year
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has issued an executive order ending in-person K-12 instruction for the 2019-20 school year. Under Executive Order 2020-35, schools will shift to distance learning formats to ensure our students are as fully prepared as possible for the next school year.
The top priority is the health of our students, teachers and administrative staff. At this time, bringing students together in a classroom environment simply poses too many health risks for everyone.
Instead, school districts will shift to distance learning formats to ensure Michigan students receive an education for the remainder of this school year. Many teachers and parents have been doing outstanding work to ensure our children have been continuing their education through distance learning since their schools were closed. I fully recognize the hard work and ingenuity of our teachers and parents, and I strongly believe there should be a mechanism to count this time toward instructional requirements.
The governor’s executive order requires each district to submit a detailed plan indicating how they will achieve distance learning. I support this, as parents deserve to know how schools will fully prepare their children for the next grade level or their seniors for college.
As we face this unprecedented challenge, we must do everything we can and provide all necessary resources — whether it be tutoring, remedial support or other tools — to ensure that every student is fully prepared for the next step in their academic careers.
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There are several ways Michigan residents can come together to help our great state during this challenging time!
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently launched a new website, www.michigan.gov/fightcovid19, where residents can find out how they can volunteer in their local communities, give blood, donate medical supplies and more.
In times like this, it’s more important than ever for Michiganders to support one another. I encourage you to visit this site and volunteer or make donations to help the cause if you’re able. We will get through this, together.
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Do you have a question about what professions are considered essential under the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order? The term “essential worker” can seem a bit broad, but the overall idea is to limit people working outside of their home to those that sustain or protect life. Gov. Whitmer’s office is basing their definition off of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s list of essential critical infrastructure workers. You can find a link to that list by visiting the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's website.
Michigan.gov/coronavirus also has several sources of information and resources available to employers and employees seeking guidance on their work status. I encourage you to review the Frequently Asked Questions page here, the Resources page for employees and employers available at this link, as well as the Guidance for Business page.
I value the work that you do, and I hope these resources will be of assistance to you.
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The presence of COVID-19 in Michigan has affected many aspects of our lives. In an effort to help those whose jobs have been affected, the governor has issued an executive order extending unemployment benefits to workers who have been affected by the closure of businesses as a result of a government order or if they have a direct connection with the virus. To learn more about the Unemployment Insurance Agency's services, please visit their website.
The agency has now implemented a system in an effort to assist heavy traffic on their website. People whose last name begins with A-L and wish to file online should file on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, while those whose last name begins with M-Z should file on Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday. Saturdays are for those who missed the assigned days above.
For those who prefer telephone, those whose last name begins with A-L should call on Monday or Wednesday, while those whose last name begins with M-Z should call on Tuesday or Thursday. Friday and Saturday are for those who missed the above opportunities. The call center has also extended its hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The 24-hour website operates faster when there are fewer people on the site at any given time. The UIA also urges Michiganders using the website to expect longer load times. It may take several minutes for a page to load at this time. Users are asked to be patient and not click more than once to reload a page.
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Protect yourself and others
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Michiganders have been preparing for COVID-19 for weeks, and all individuals should continue to take the following basic personal-hygiene measures to prevent the spread of the virus:
• wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer;
• avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands;
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing;
• avoid handshakes;
• avoid contact with people who are sick; and
• stay home when you are sick.
Note: Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. For those who have questions about the state’s actions to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, please call the COVID-19 Hotline at 1-888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.
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State government resources
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Michigan's 31st Senate District
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The 31th state Senate District includes all of Bay, Lapeer, and Tuscola counties.
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Senator Kevin Daley
5200 Connie B. Binsfeld Office Building
P.O. Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909-7536
Phone: 517-373-1777
FAX: 517-373-5871
E-Mail: [email protected]
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| Visit my website at: SenatorKevinDaley.com |
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Thank you for subscribing to my electronic newsletter! Please feel free to forward this on to others who may be interested in receiving the 31st District E-news. You may sign up for it at my website.
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