For Thursday, June 18.

MARQUETTE — Norlite Nursing Center posted on its Facebook page Wednesday that its final resident was removed from coronavirus isolation after receiving consecutive negative tests.

The isolation plastic from the entire facility has been removed and the facility feels “a bit closer to normal,” the post reads.

Weekly testing of all residents is being discontinued, and all staff have been testing weekly. However, group activities and communal dining still is banned, and visitation, according to an executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, is banned through at least July 12.

“These were trying and fearful times, especially throughout April,” the post reads. “We were challenged in a way and from angles we were unfamiliar with.”

The facility, located at 701 Homestead St., in Marquette, was the site of an outbreak of COVID-19, with eight deaths recorded.

Norlite thanked the community for its outpouring of support over the past three months.

“Business, individuals and organizations alike showed us the love and faith that made us proud to be part of such a wonderful community,” Norlite said.

Free dairy boxes available

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing dairy boxes to the Negaunee and Ishpeming communities at no cost.

Boxes will be available starting Monday. Each box will contain two gallons of milk, four single-serve milks, a 24-ounce container of cottage cheese, a 16-ounce container of sour cream, a 16-ounce container of French onion dip and an 8-ounce block of cream cheese.

Anyone interested in reserving a box may contact Calvin Attwell, food services director with Negaunee Public Schools and Ishpeming Public Schools, at 906-475-7803 ext. 110, or via email at calvin.attwell@negauneeschools.org or cattwell@ishpemingschools.com.

Sister City visits

canceled

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Sister City delegation visits from Shiga Prefecture of Japan to Michigan have been canceled this year. This includes the Sister City delegation from Higashiomi, Japan, which originally planned to visit Marquette in August.

Delegation visits are expected to resume in 2021, with Michigan delegations visiting Japan. The next Japanese delegation visits to Michigan will take place in 2022.

For more information, contact Paulette Lindberg at 906-869-7501.

Whitmer takes COVID-19 actions

Also on Wednesday, Whitmer signaled her support for Senate Bill 690, which puts more than $850 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Fund monies into action across the state.

The supplemental budget bill includes $120 million for direct care workers, providing an additional $2 per hour from now through September to ensure direct care workers receive additional money. It also provides $125 million in day care subsidies to reduce child care costs for families now.

The governor on Wednesday signed Executive Order 2020-125, which clarifies Workers’ Disability Compensation Act eligibility during the COVID-19 emergency, replacing emergency rules issued by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity in March.

Under this executive order, individuals who work within the secured borders of a penal institution, including correctional officers, medical staff and cafeteria staff who serve prisoners, will be presumptively entitled to worker’s compensation if they suffer a personal injury as a result of COVID-19.

Executive Order 2020-126, which Whitmer signed on Wednesday, extends existing safety measures to protect consumers and employees at grocery stores and pharmacies.

The order, which continues through July 15, extends the following health and safety guidelines, among others:

≤ Customers who can medically tolerate a face covering must wear one when entering a grocery store or pharmacy.

≤ Grocery stores and pharmacies must allocate at least two hours per week of shopping time for vulnerable populations.

≤ If an employee tests positive for COVID-19, the business must notify other employees without infringing on private health information.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net