By Jim Newell

Review Editor

With the United States confronting its most viral pandemic in more than 100 years, Orion area leaders are coming together to make sure residents and businesses have the most accurate information and assistance they need during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

On Monday, more than 30 community leaders meet to discuss how they could best coordinate information and efforts to, first, assist residents and, second, businesses, in the Orion community.

Orion Township and Lake Orion government officials, Lake Orion schools, local church clergy leaders, the North Oakland Community Coalition (NOCC), the North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA), the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce and others are all working together, agreeing that communication of accurate information – not online rumor and speculation – is key.

“My take, in my seat is that we’re not overreacting. I don’t think there is anything we can do that would be considered overreacting based on this situation. The concern is real. We’re not trying to push panic, but what’s happening in our world is real,” said Orion Twp. Supervisor Chris Barnett, who convened the meeting.

“The goal here is we want to lead, we want to work together and we want to speak with one voice,” Barnett said. “People will be panicked. And if you’ve seen the grocery stores, you know that there’s panic. So, this is an opportunity for us to not panic and come up with a real strategy.”

The question asked by all of the group was: “How do we really support the people in our community who need it the most?”

Lake Orion Community Schools will provide two meals for children ages 18 and younger. See page 3 for the related article.

Orion Twp. Parks and Rec. Director Aaron Whatley and his department are working to coordinate the helpline and email (see the resource guide on page 4) and have said they could use the packaging facilities at the Orion Center to assist in providing meals, if necessary.

To assist in feeding area youth, Blessings in a Backpack and Blessings in a Brown Bag are also leveraging their resources to contribute.

Orion Neighborhood Television is working on promos for televising lists of resources and public service announcements. Check orionontv.org and local cable channels.

The Lake Orion Review will regularly update information on its website, lakeorionreview.com, and Facebook page and print editions.

NOTA Director Lynn Gustafson said NOTA is still transporting people to appointments and sanitizing its vehicles, but urges people not to ride if they have, or suspect they have, the Coronavirus.

North Oakland Community Coalition is working on developing outlets and support for area youth and residents who may experience depression or substance abuse while being homebound and isolated. Contact the NOCC at 248-520-3786, or online at noccmi.org.

COVID-19 statistics as of Tuesday

On Tuesday, March 10, Michigan’s Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency as the state’s first positive cases of COVID-19 were identified.

As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, there were 65 reported presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Michigan, the Michigan Department of Health reported.

There were 17 cases in Oakland County, the most of any county in the state, as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Oakland County Health Division.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 4,226 cases of people infected with COVID-19 as of noon on Tuesday, with 75 total deaths since the outbreak began.