MICHIGAN, USA — In the past three months concern over the COVID-19 virus has grown, and with countries like China and Italy topping the national total for confirmed cases, travel restrictions have gone up.
Although there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Michigan, many workplaces are now asking their employees to let the company know when they are taking trips out of the country, and some are requiring workers to quarantine themselves before coming back to work as a precaution.
West Michigander, Mary Ogle, is currently in her fourth day of quarantine after visiting her daughter who was taking part in an accelerated master's program in Italy.
"We said she's in Rome. We should go too," she said. "A dark cloud moved in and got bigger and bigger and it was called the coronavirus."
Ogle works at Western Michigan University. Her employer asked her to self-quarantine for 14 days before returning for work. She was traveling with her son but said he left "in the knick of time." Ogle was still in Italy when a level four advisory for the virus was released.
After her husband picked her up from the airport, Ogle said he too was asked by his workplace to self-quarantine.
"This is my husband's dream come true because he's such a homebody anyway. He can't wait to order groceries from Meijer online and he's looking on Amazon to have stuff delivered," Ogle said.
While her husband is getting paid out of an emergency fund through his work, Ogle is using her paid time off days.
According to Dr. Adam London, Director of Kent County Health Department, there are a few key reasons that warrant a self-quarantine.
"First off, a travel history to china, secondly it's going to be a known exposure to a sick person when cases are diagnosed. We're going to tell those sick people that they have to remain isolated until their illness is gone and they've had at least two consecutive, negative tests for COVID-19," he said.
Ogle and her husband aren't showing COVID-19 symptoms. Under a self-quarantine, individuals are prohibited from attending public gatherings or going anywhere they could put others in close proximity at risk.
Ogle said she was disappointed she did not get to hit the polls during Tuesday's 2020 primary election, due to her quarantine. However, her neighbor picked her up an emergency absentee ballot, which will still allow her to cast her vote.
Her daughter will now have to finish her schooling online.
"She was supposed to stay there for two more months. She got through midterms, and John Cabot University said they could finish their studies online. So she won't lose credit, but she is missing out on an additional eight weeks experience," Ogle said.
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