Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 10, 2021 

CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112, wheatonb@michigan.gov  

MDHHS partners with GetSetUp to help residents
navigate online COVID-19 vaccine information 

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun to provide overview for older adults Thursday 

LANSING, Mich. – Older adults in Michigan experiencing challenges finding COVID-19 vaccine information online now have a trusted source for assistance.

Through its partnership with the national education technology company GetSetUp, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Aging & Adult Services Agency is offering a series of sessions to walk older Michiganders through the Michigan COVID-19 vaccine website. The goal is to help them find their local health department to register online for a vaccine appointment or to be added to the waitlist.

“Older adults have faced various challenges in accessing COVID-19 vaccinations. We want to make it easier for individuals who have access to the internet to sign up online to receive a vaccine,” said Dr. Alexis Travis, senior deputy director of the Aging & Adult Services Agency. “Our partnership with GetSetUp is one way we are removing barriers and ensuring access to reliable and accurate information.”

On Thursday, Feb. 11, at 3 p.m., Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive and MDHHS chief deputy medical director, will join a session to provide a brief overview of the landscape in Michigan and to answer some frequently asked questions.

Registration is required. To register, visit www.getsetup.io/michigan or call 1-888-559-1614.  Michiganders without internet access looking for vaccine information should contact the MDHHS COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-535-6136.

“We built GetSetUp to be a powerful community-based platform that could help older adults learn anything,” said Lawrence Kosick, co-founder of GetSetUp. “Right now, learning how to get a vaccine and scheduling an appointment is the top priority for older adults in Michigan, but many struggle with having sufficient technical expertise to find and navigate to the correct website(s) to sign up for the vaccine. Together with MDHHS, we’ve been able to expand our partnership and very quickly begin hosting live, online vaccine information sessions. Based on our experience in Michigan and the support of MDHHS, this is now a program we’ve expanded across the country to help older adults in Michigan and everywhere get the information they need to protect their health.”

In addition to the vaccine information sessions, older Michiganders can access more than 150 free online group classes designed for and led by older adults. Popular classes include how to use a smartphone or tablet, how to use services like video conferencing, email, social media, as well as virtual social hours. More than 45,000 older Michiganders are currently taking advantage of free classes through GetSetUp.

This project is funded in part by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

Information around the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.  .

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 8, 2021

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, SutfinL1@michigan.gov          

MDHHS issues Interim Guidance for Athletics
Masks must be worn during games and practice or regular COVID-19 testing conducted

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has issued Interim Guidance for Athletics following its epidemic order announced last week to allow contact sports to resume starting today. The order requires masks are worn during practices and competition. If masks cannot be worn, participants must be regularly tested for COVID-19 consistent with guidelines issued by MDHHS.

“Safety protocols like wearing masks and testing will help keep kids, coaches and families safe and allow our schools to remain open for in-person instruction,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “We also continue to urge hand washing, using separate equipment as much as possible and frequently cleaning and disinfecting any shared equipment and surfaces.”

Contact sports are allowed as long as participants are masked during play or practice. Participants need to maintain six feet of distance when not actively engaged in play and wear face masks at all times. For sports where masks cannot be worn and social distancing cannot be maintained, all participants must be tested consistent with the program specified in the Testing and Additional Mitigation Measures for Athletic Practice and Play section of MDHHS’s Interim Guidance for Athletics.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/sportsCOVIDinfo. Sports organizers are encouraged to administer a testing program even if it is not required.

“As a parent and former student-athlete myself, I get how important athletics are to our children’s physical and mental health,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “However, parents and athletes need to understand the risk involved with contact sports if they choose to participate. Sports that require frequent closeness between players make it more difficult to prevent virus transmission even when mitigation measures are in place, including masks. Even when not required, we urge teams to implement a testing program to protect athletes, coaches and their families.”

It is recommended that spectators are limited to two per athlete. Spectators are allowed with up to 250 people in stadiums that seat less than 10,000 and up 500 people at venues that seat over 10,000 people.

Additional recommendations included in the MDHHS guidance include:

• Wash hands frequently and cover coughs and sneezes.
• Do not share items that are difficult to clean, sanitize or disinfect. Use separate towels, clothing or other items used to wipe faces or hands.
• Individuals should use their own gear/equipment and minimize sharing equipment.
• Individuals are encouraged to provide their own food, drinks and/or water.
• If a mask is removed during a break, participants must remain at least six feet apart from others.
• Refrain from pre- or post-event handshakes, hugs, fist bumps, high fives or contact celebrations.
• Ensure enough time between events or practices to allow for proper cleaning and disinfection of the facilities and shared equipment.
• Prioritize outdoor, as opposed to indoor, practice and play as much as possible.
• If playing inside, ensure ventilation systems or fans operate properly. Increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible, for example by opening windows and doors.
• Areas with poor ventilation (weight rooms, small spaces) where social distancing cannot be implemented should be avoided.
• In practices, prioritize noncontact activity, like conditioning and drills, where social distancing can be maintained. Small groups may help reduce the risk of teamwide COVID-19 outbreaks as they allow for greater social distancing, easier contact tracing, and reducing the number of athletes that need to be quarantined.
• Minimize travel to other communities and regions for practices and competition.
• Limit the use of carpools, buses or other shared transportation between persons outside the same household. When riding in an automobile to a sports event, encourage players to ride to the sports event with persons living in their same household, and always wear a mask if traveling with persons outside the same household.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine.