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Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
Response to COVID-19
UPDATES FOR MENOMINEE TRIBAL MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS OF THE MENOMINEE RESERVATION/COUNTY
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The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is taking preventative measures in regards to the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus.
An Incident Command Center has been created to include Ben Warrington-Incident Commander, Dr. Amy Slagle-Public Health Officer, Vaughn Bowles-Public Information Officer, and Menominee Nation News will be used to write and disseminate information. Information will be released as available and necessary as it relates to the Menominee reservation and county.
On Thursday, March 12, 2020 the Menominee Indian Tribe declared a
State of Emergency, and approved immediate precautionary measures to be taken by the community and tribal employees.
The Incident Command team is meeting daily and will issue updates to the response as necessary.
Please understand the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is taking this very seriously and the health and safety of the community is of the upmost concern. The situation the nation is faced with is unprecedented and as more is learned about the virus, any and all restrictions/closures are for the health and safety of our community.
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Services still available to community, but Tribe is requiring employees to work from home
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In response to the COVID-19 virus threat, Tribal leaders and the emergency response team have decided that only a limited number of tribal employees will be required to report to work. At this time, all services will still be provided by tribal departments.
The Tribe’s emergency response team have determined that Aging & Long Term Care, the Menominee Tribal Clinic, Crime Victims, the Menominee Detention Facility, Domestic Violence Shelter, Early Childhood Services, Facilities, Food Distribution, Information Technology, the Maehnowesekiyah Wellness Center, Department of Transit Services, Tribal Administration, Menominee Tribal Law Enforcement, and Menominee Tribal Utilities are essential to keep the Tribe functioning and
all employees of these departments are required to continue to report to work.
Some staff comprising the Community Development, Community Resource Center (CRC), Environmental Services, Family Services, Finance, Housing, Human Resources, Insurance, Menominee Nation News, and Youth Services Departments will still be required to report to work to maintain operations of the departments for priority activities.
Non-essential departments include the Agriculture Department, Child Support, Education, Enrollment/License & Permits, Lending & Tax, Probation, and Public Defender. Employees in these departments are designated as working from home.
Departments of Internal Audit, the Judiciary, Election Commission, Gaming Commission, Language & Culture, Legal Services, Prosecutor’s office, and Menominee Tribal School are undetermined and should check with their immediate supervisors.
If community members are in need of services from any of the tribal departments, it is advised to call ahead, before visiting the department. The Tribal Switchboard Operator can be reached at (715) 799-5100.
The COVID-19 virus situation continues to evolve rapidly and Tribal leaders urge Tribal members to continue to monitor social media platforms and the Menominee Nation News newsletter for further updates.
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MITW Procedure for Quarantine
Issued in accordance with MITW Covid-19 Action Plan
From Dr. Amy Slagle, MD
MITW Public Health Officer
March 17, 2020
Many employees of Menominee Nation have been placed on Quarantine by their supervisors or employers due to recent travel. Others have been placed on Quarantine as a result of a medical evaluation of themselves or a close contact. The definition of Quarantine, the rationale of Quarantine, and the measures for Quarantine will be discussed here.
1.Definition:
- QUARANTINE: the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to COVID-19 but who do not yet have symptoms, from others who have not yet been exposed, to prevent spread of COVID-19. Exposure means direct contact with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 but it also means physically being in areas identified as high risk for spread.
- SELF-QUARANTINE: A person is directed to be under Quarantine by employer or by medical instructions. The person is expected to adhere to Quarantine measures out of respect for other’s lives. This requires self-discipline and personal sense of responsibility. Violations of self-quarantine may be subject to penalties including involuntary enforcement according to the code of MITW ordinances
2. Rationale: COVID-19 spreads more easily than other viruses and is killing more people. It is a deadly infection for many.
It is now understood that people who have COVID-19 in their bodies but feel fine are spreading the disease without knowing it. This is called “community spread”. If a person has a greater risk of having the virus it is even more important to avoid others. If you have the virus and are spreading it, you could kill others. Quarantine is required to stop the spread of disease.
3.QUARANTINE MEASURES:
- Stay home: This means do not go to school, work, restaurants, bars, public places, or attend gatherings. If you need medical care, call your doctor’s office first to discuss. Do not use public transportation or private hire for transport.
- Do not allow guests or friends in your home if they do not already live there.
- Postpone any travel
- Arrange for food, medicine, or other goods to be delivered to you.
- If there is no other means and you are well, you may leave briefly in a private vehicle to obtain food, medications, or essential home items. This should be brief and limited and is not an opportunity to enter bars, restaurants, other’s homes.
- Postpone any medical appointments which can be safely delayed.
- Call your doctor’s office ahead of time and explain why you are under Quarantine to decide if and how you will obtain care.
- If you live with others, they are not placed on Quarantine because you are. In the home, you should maintain safe distances when possible (6 feet). You should sleep alone. You should have your own towels. You should use separate bathroom facilities if possible, and you should wash your hands often, for 20 seconds at a time. You should wash your own dishes or place them in dishwasher yourself. Safe hygiene practices should be practiced by all in the home.
- If you remain healthy and free of cough, fever, or shortness of breath after 14 days of Quarantine, you may return to work. Due to the measures and instructions put in place by local, state, and national authorities, YOU SHOULD STILL AVOID PUBLIC PLACES AND STAY HOME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AFTER QUARANTINE IS OVER.
If you have been placed in Quarantine by medical directive, there may be more rules which determine when your Quarantine is over, especially if you have been Quarantined due to exposure to someone with a known or confirmed case of COVID-19. Those directives will be given to you by your doctor or public health professional.
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What is the difference between isolation and quarantine?
Isolation and quarantine are public health practices used to stop or limit the spread of disease.
Isolation is used to separate ill persons who have a communicable disease from those who are healthy. Isolation restricts the movement of ill persons to help stop the spread of certain diseases. For example, hospitals use isolation for patients with infectious tuberculosis.
Quarantine is used to separate and restrict the movement of well persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they become ill. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms. Quarantine can also help limit the spread of communicable disease.
Isolation and quarantine are used to protect the public by preventing exposure to infected persons or to persons who may be infected.
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Closure updates
Menominee Casino to close Saturday
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In addition to the closure of the Menominee Indian School District, Menominee Tribal School, College of Menominee Nation, Menominee Early Childhood Services, The Menominee Recreation Center, Woodland Boys & Girls Club, the Menominee Casino Resort and the Menominee Tribal Courts have announced their closure and amended schedules in response to the COVID-19 virus concerns.
In a statement released on March 17, the Menominee Casino Resort have announced they will be closing the casino, bingo, and hotel operations on Saturday, March 21 at 11:59 p.m.
“This closure to the public will be in effect for a two-week period, to be assessed daily. Notice will be provided once our operations decide to resume. To ensure we are progressing our efforts, we will be closing the Casino from 2 am through 7 am beginning March 18 to allow for additional deep cleaning measures,” a MCR statement by General Manager, Troy Sadler, states.
The Menominee Tribal Courts have issued revised policies in response to the COVID-19 virus
concerns.
Menominee Supreme Court Judge, Stephan M. Grochowski announced: Jury Duty/Service - All jury trials are hereby suspended. Jury Duty service is also held in abeyance. Bench trials and court appearances will continue to occur.
Mandatory Court Appearances - Only persons who are required to be in court will be allowed in the court room.
The Menominee Tribal Courts are temporarily canceling evening court on Monday and Tuesday evenings effective immediately. Evening court will tentatively resume May 4, 2020. We will be monitoring the situation and if necessary, will implement further changes.
As of Tuesday, March 17 both the St. Michael's Parish in Keshena and St. Anthony's Parish in Neopit are waiting for an official directive from the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay on suspending weekend services.
St. Michael's of Keshena have stated that their Thrift and Gift shop will be closed. Both parishes food distribution services will continue to operate through drive-up services only.
Closures/Cancellations will be updated as they come in. The current information should be available on the
Menominee Tribal Website
by Wednesday.
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COVID-19 concerns suspend food sale transactions until further notice
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As a preventative measure and in response to the swiftly evolving Covid-19/ Coronavirus which poses an immediate threat to the safety, health, and wellbeing of the Menominee tribal community, all food sale transactions are suspended until further notice, at least from tribal food sellers.
This
action is necessary as a part of the MITW Declaration of State of Emergency regarding COVID-19.
Menominee people are hereby notified to immediately halt all food sale transactions until further notice. This includes in-person dining, delivery and take out dining, food sale fundraisers, and any other sales of food items within the community.
All food sales require a food handling permit and no new food handling permits will be issued during the state of emergency.
This does not include critical infrastructure entities such as grocery stores, food pantries, and childcare centers and schools.
This notice is being provided pursuant to Menominee Tribal Law, Chapter §335-37:
“General Provisions:
A. Public health protection.
(1) The regulatory authority shall apply this code to promote its underlying purpose of safeguarding public health and assuring that food is safe, unadulterated, and honestly presented when offered to the consumer.
B. Preventing health hazard conditions not addressed.
(1) If necessary to protect against public health hazards, the regulatory authority may impose specific requirements in addition to the requirements contained in this code that are authorized by law.”
We thank you for anticipated cooperation and compliance with the suspension of all food sale transactions in protecting our community against this public health hazard.
Other places on the reservation
Currently this suspension does not apply to food-selling at chartered entities and restaurants in Menominee Reservation/County that operate independent of the tribe, but many of them are following the advice of state and national leaders and only doing take-out services and refusing to let people dine-in until the state of emergency is lifted:
The latest as of March 17, 2020 is this:
•Forest Island in Menominee Casino Resort (MCR) is open Sunday thru Thursday from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 7 am-9 pm but only doing take-outs. Call beforehand to place an order or for more information at 715-799-4032 ext. 4021.
•MCR’s Thunderbird Supper Club (located at VV East) is also doing take-out only and is open Monday through Thursday from Noon until 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 9 pm. Call 715-799-6543 to place an order or for more information.
•War Bonnet is only doing carry-out and is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Call beforehand to place an order or for more information at 715-799-4413.
•Rainbow Falls Saloon was closed today (March 17) so they could not be contacted but if they are open they are likely to serve food as take-out only. For more information Rainbow Falls Saloon can be contacted at 715-756-2518.
•Subway will be open regular hours, but will have no dine-in and only take out. People can call ahead to place an order at 715-799-6343 if they prefer or for more information.
•Hops and Grains Sports Bar opens at 6 p.m. so could not be contacted in time for this article, but it is likely they will also follow the protocol of no dining-in and take-out only. For more information or to place an order Hops and Grains Sports Bar can be contacted at 715-799-4545.
Many of the aforementioned places also have Facebook site which they update.
•As of now most grocery and convenience stores will stay open and operate regularly.
Save-A-Lot in Keshena has taken the step of designating a shopping time for elders (a high risk COVID-19 population) from 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. and during this time frame ONLY elders will be allowed in the stores to fulfill shopping needs. Regular hours of operations for ALL customers will be from 9:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Save-A-Lot has also suspended its 1-day Meat Sale that was scheduled for April 3, 2020.
Many people, especially sick people or those with higher risk of catching COVID-19, are encouraged to stay home as much as possible, so they should also contemplate if it is really worth it to go out and get meals or food, as eating at home is considered a better option for the time being.
All these restaurant and store alterations will be in place until further notice.
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Food being provided for youth
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Food for kids can be picked up at the following locations on Thursday, March 19 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and other times that will be announced in the future:
•Keshena Primary School. The Food for Kids program is also in constant need of cardboard boxes to help with delivery food and if people have any excess boxes they are encouraged to drop them off at this location.
•Middle Village Fire Department
•South Branch Community Center
•Menominee Tribal School
•Zoar Community Center (note: this is a different place, across the street from the Zoar Ceremonial Building).
This program is for youths only (those 18 and under), many of whom have difficulty accessing nutritional foods on their own, so it should not be used as an alternative food supply source by anyone else.
Meals will be especially provided to all Tribal School children, Head Start/Early Head Start children and Daycare children. Kids who attend Keshena Primary School, Menominee Indian Middle School, and Menominee Indian High School can use the service too.
Plans are to distribute two days’ worth at a time at all five of the centers Tuesday and Thursday of this week as pick-up only.
On a related note, if people use the St. Michael’s Food Pantry as a source of food it currently plans to operate at regular dates and hours, but is only offering drive-up for the time being.
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Those distributing food to youth during the COVID-19/ Coronvirus school closure period are in increasing need of boxes to be used for packaging the meal deliveries.
They asked if anyone has any spare boxes like copy paper boxes or other similar boxes to please have them delivered directly to the Keshena Primary School right away.
Please look in your areas and see if you have any that you can spare and send to KPS.
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Tribal Podcast on COVID-19
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On episode 10 of the MITW Podcast, Vaughn Bowles, Public Information Officer for the Menominee Tribe, was interviewed about the COVID-19. Questions that were submitted via email by the community were also answered.
People can listen on the Tribe’s website at
menominee-nsn.gov
under the “Community” tab
The Tribal Podcasts are also available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher for mobile devices.
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Menominee Tribal Judiciary
Notice of Temporary Emergency Measures
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Do to the Corona Virus, changes must be made to protect everyone's well-being. The following policies will be in effect until further notice. Please see the Court's website at
http://courts.menominee-nsn.gov/ for further updates AND/OR changes.
JURY DUTY/SERVICE
All jury trials are hereby suspended until further notice. Further, jury duty service is also held in abeyance. Bench trials and court appearances will continue to occur.
MANDATORY COURT APPEARANCES
Only Persons who are required to be in court will be allowed in the court room.
If you need more information, please contact the Court at (715) 799-3348 and speak to one of the Deputy Clerks. Waewaenen.
Chief Justice Grochowski
3/16/2020
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White House issues 15 Day Coronavirus Guidelines
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People should already be following the guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and repeated in several other media outlets about how they can prevent getting and/or spreading the Coronavirus (and any other diseases) by such measures as simple hand-washing hygiene and staying home if they are sick, and most workplaces also have policies regarding sickness and virus containment.
That being said, the White House yesterday issued an initiative to enhance the preventative measures furthermore, called 15 Days to Slow the Spread, which can be viewed at the website
www.whitehouse.gov.
For those who are unable to go to the website here are the recommendations issued by President Donald J. Trump and other white house and national healthcare officials which they ask people to follow to the best of their ability for the next 15 days:
- Listen to and follow the directions of state and local authorities
- If you feel sick stay home and do not go to work or school. Also contact your medical provider.
- If your children are sick keep them home and do not send them to school. Also contact your medical provider.
- If someone in your household has tested positive for the coronavirus keep the entire household home and do not go to work or school. Contact your medical provider.
- Older/Elderly people are especially encouraged to stay at home and away from other people.
- People with serious underlying health conditions (such as those with heart and lung problems or deficient immune systems) are also especially encouraged to stay home and away from other people.
- Even if people are young and otherwise healthy they should also be following preventative guidelines because they can act as carriers.
- People should engage in work and schooling from home whenever possible.
- If you must go to work, be sure to keep following CDC and employers’ guidelines about how to prevent Coronavirus spread.
- Avoid social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people.
- Avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants and food courts and instead use drive-thru, pickup or delivery options.
- Avoid discretionary travel, shopping trips and other social outings and visits.
- Do not visit nursing homes, retirement communities or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance.
- Continue to practice good hygiene in areas like hand washing/sanitizing; avoiding touching your face; sneeze or cough into tissues or the backside or your elbow; and disinfect frequently used surfaces and items as much as possible.
Whitehouse.gov also has this statement at the end regarding schools: Schools operating can accelerate the spread of coronavirus. Governors of states with evidence of community transmission should close schools in affected and surrounding areas. Governors should close schools in communities that are near areas of community transmission, even if those area are in neighboring states. In addition, state and local official should close schools where coronavirus has been identified in the population associated with the school. State and localities that close schools need to address childcare needs of critical responders, as well as the nutritional needs of children.
People are also encouraged to keep visiting the
CDC website for further updates.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has also issued a directive prohibiting mass gatherings of 10 people or more to slow the spread. The directive can be view
here.
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Although younger people are not at as high of a risk as others, they can still be carriers of the virus. As such it is highly recommended younger people also practice preventive measures.
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Save-A-Lot designates shopping hours for elders
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Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Save-a-Lot has designated a shopping time for our elders from the hours of 7:30am until 9:30am effective March 18, 2020. During this time frame ONLY our elders will be allowed in the store to fulfill their shopping needs.
Hours of regular operation for ALL customers will be from 9:30am-9pm.
Management also asks that any customers that are in need of supplies/groceries from our Save-a-Lot store, to please refrain from coming in large groups. This will help in preventing the possible spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The 1-day meat sale that was scheduled for April 3, 2020 has been postponed to a later date to be determined.
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Our Menominee way is to help others
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During this time of uncertainty, it is important to remember to check in on others, especially our Elders, and offer to help where you can.
Think of ways we all can help each other get through this. We're all in this together.
Health care providers are currently encouraging everyone to stay home and avoid crowds-phone calls are best. If phone calls are not possible, practice social distancing of at least 6 feet and good hygiene.
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Here are a few things kids/families can do while home:
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The Library is closed to the public, but you can still join them for online activities. Go to the
CMN Library Facebook page
for facebook live events.
Also, check out their daily posting with a link that will take you to the Story of the Day. These read-alouds are one way your family can stay connected to books and reading.
Looking for something to read/listen/watch during this stretch? Check out
Overdrive
with your Library card. Sign in using Infosoup-Menominee Tribal Library. Use your Library card number for the username and password.
• Sign up for a free trial of the many streaming services
•
ABC Mouse
is offering FREE membership...Use Code SCHOOL7771
• Puzzles, crosswords, or color in a coloring book, board games, build something out of legos, play barbies/super heroes with your children
• Read a book
• Try making a new meal or perfect that frybread recipe
• Start a journal
• Watch those really long movies you've been wanting to watch but didn't have time
• Exercise
• Knit/Crochet
• Pamper yourself-do your nails, at home facials, take a bath
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People should follow simple steps to avoid getting sick, including:
- Frequent and thorough hand washing with soap and water.
- Coughs and sneeze into your elbow/sleeve, not your hands
- Avoiding touching your face.
- Staying home, especially if sick
- Social distancing-keep at least 6 feet of space between you and others
- Avoid crowds
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
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As this is an evolving issue, individuals are encouraged to monitor the following websites for the latest information on COVID-19:
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MITW will release more information on the following platforms:
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Tribal Emergency Hotline: (715) 799-7000 press #5 for COVID-19 information
Menominee Public Access Channel 979 on Charter/Spectrum
Please share the information with others who may not have access to these options.
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Here are links to the previous updates that were sent out:
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Menominee Nation News office hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
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Devan Erdmann
Director/Editor
Joshua Sederstrom
Administrative/Design Assistant
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Patrick Delabrue
Reporter
Christopher Anderson
Reporter
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Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin | Menominee Nation News
Ph: (715) 799-5167 | Fax: (715) 799-5250
© 2020
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