Sanilac County Health Department Director Bryant Wilkie updated the Board of Commissioners on the recent COVID-19 outbreak Tuesday afternoon, saying there are no confirmed cases of the disease in Sanilac County as of the time of his report. Wilkie said in his 37 years of working with the department he has never faced anything like this pandemic and noted the entire department has been working closely with State and Federal officials to stay informed on the situation. Wilkie said the department’s employees are screened on a regular basis, with one staff member home on self-quarantine and another was out of the office due to illness. According to Wilkie, as of Tuesday, the County had access to only two testing kits for COVID-19 and it was his opinion a potential vaccine is still a year and a half away, at the earliest. He said he was glad to see local businesses throughout the County taking action and being pro-active.
In other Commission news, members approved spending $5,000 for memorial flags and markers, honoring County veterans at their final resting places. The funding comes from the Veterans Funding line item and is an issue visited every year by the Board. Commissioners also gave the OK to purchase 15-passenger transport van at a cost of almost $40,000 dollars from Tubbs Brothers in Sandusky. Another $6,000 dollars was approved for emergency lighting and security in the vehicle. The van is primarily used to transport federal prisoners to Detroit for court cases. Sheriff Department officials say the Federal Government has been reimbursing them for costs associated with the transport program, that in turn covers the cost of the vehicle and needed equipment.
