Bay County Resident Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Bay County Health Officer Joel Strasz  says testing through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has identified the county’s first presumptive positive case for coronavirus disease.  Specimens are being sent to the Centers for Disease Control to confirm.

The person involved is a physician at Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw.  Once it was confirmed he tested positive the Bay County Health Department, Covenant and other health departments began informing patients, staff and others who had contact with the physician and provided them with information to ensure that they take immediate actions to minimize the exposure of others.

Bay County Executive James Barcia said the county is mobilizing every resource it has to protect  our most vulnerable citizens in the wake of this devastating virus.  Barcia said he has directed the Health Department utilize all of its available resources to work diligently with local health care providers,  townships and cities, and community organizations to protect citizens.

A Covenant news statement says the physician learned that he was exposed to an individual with the virus while on an out of state trip.  Once he became aware that he was exposed he stopped working immediately, underwent testing and went into home quarantine while awaiting test results.

The Bay County case brings the state total to 25 according to information from Michigan State Police.