Plans are in the works for the Health Department to offer COVID-19 testing starting this Saturday at Thunder Bay Junior High School. There will also be testing performed at Alpena Community College and a vaccine clinic is planned for Sept. 8.

“I want to give them the opportunity to test before going to school and possibly prevent anyone from exposing any students in the first week,” Emma Vieregge, the health department’s emergency preparedness supervisor, said.

Northeast Michigan has experienced an uptick in COVID-19 cases, with the first case of the delta variant confirmed by state health department officials on July 30.

Devin Spivey, community health director and epidemiologist with District Health Department No. 2 and No. 4, said since then, the state health department has notified them of a total of eight Alpena residents and one Montmorency County resident infected with the delta variant.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Josh Meyerson, medical director for District Health Department No. 4, speaks Tuesday during a health board meeting in Hillman.

“There’s not robust testing in place, so we’re only going to see the tip of the iceberg,” Administrative Health Officer Denise Bryan told the District No. 4 Health Board. “I don’t think everybody is going to go get tested.”

Bryan said on Tuesday she was not prepared to issue a mask mandate for public schools, and expressed concerns about whether the public could be compelled to cooperate with such a mandate

She said Health Department officials would continue to do everything they could to help the school districts. She also said school boards do have the ability to issue their own mask mandates.

“What I can tell you is we will pay attention to the data as we get it, and also as Health Officer, I would need to consult you as my board with this particular (matter) — it’s not without legal ramifications,” she said.

Bryan also told the Health Board the state had $336,000 of funding available, which could be used to hire three health resource advocate positions to work in schools.

Bryan said half of the Health Department’s COVID-19 phone calls were related to schools last year. The health resource advocates would work in both elementary and secondary schools and would help schools navigate COVID-19 related issues such as contact tracing and testing.

While the state would fund the positions, Bryan said she was still trying to get clarification on whether they would provide additional funding for things like cell phones and laptops for the health advocates to use.

She said otherwise, the funding may have to come from the Health Department’s fund balance.

The Health Board narrowly approved allowing her to hire the three advocates.

Meanwhile health department officials are also making plans to offer booster shots to those who are immunocompromised, which would include those who have received a recent transplant or undergoing chemotherapy.