State Rep. Hank Vaupel, of Fowlerville, today issued the following statement after the first coronavirus case was discovered in Livingston County:

“Our area’s first reported case of coronavirus is clearly a concern for our community, but I believe the people of Livingston County are resilient. We will get through this if we continue to band together. My heart goes out to the family impacted by this diagnosis, I know they are in the best possible care at the hands of our state’s excellent medical professionals.”

“I want to assure residents state and local health care officials are working diligently to contain the virus and protect Michigan families. As the coronavirus situation continues to develop, I encourage people to seek accurate, reliable information and work together to help curtail further spread. That means using effective preventive measures like washing hands often with soap, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and staying home as much as possible, especially when feeling sick.

“Steps are being taken right now to help mitigate our risk and provide help to people who need it. I recently supported two emergency budget action plans to address evolving challenges with the coronavirus. The most-recent measure brings the total state funding approved to $150 million, including the $25 million previously approved by the Legislature. The plan will provide $50 million for immediate needs such as virus monitoring and testing, $50 million for critical health care providers to expand capacity, and $50 million to keep in reserve for when necessary. The financial support also comes with important accountability measures to ensure money is spent in the best interests of the public and taxpayers.

“As chair of the House Health Policy Committee, I have been in regular contact with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which is working closely with our local health care providers and health departments as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to actively monitor this patient.

“Reliable information about COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus, can be found at www.michigan.gov/coronavirus and www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/.

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