Pontiac Times

Berkley city councilman Dennis Hennen is in the midst of his two-week self-quarantine, after potentially being exposed to the new coronavirus.

In a Facebook post dated March 22, Hennen described how he became exposed to the virus. He’d attended an event on March 15. He helped clean surfaces, removed items that would lead to group congregation and shared the importance of social distancing with those who attended.

After the event, Hennen wrote that one of the attendees tested positive for the virus and is being treated in the ICU. Several attendees were potentially exposed, including Hennen himself. 

“This is a perfect illustration of why our government has a duty to protect its citizens from the poor choices of others when the consequences of those actions are so dire,” Hennen wrote, calling for stronger government action in dealing with the health crisis. “If someone wants to be irresponsible and not wear a motorcycle helmet, the potential harm is only to themselves and perhaps those close to them. Yet if someone has coronavirus symptoms and acts irresponsibly and goes out, or if businesses and events will not close to protect people from those who are not yet showing symptoms, it can lead to a chain reaction of illness and death.”

Michigan is currently under a stay-at-home order, banning nonessential travel, work and business. It is scheduled to lift on April 13 – after Hennen finishes his self-quarantine. 

Because of the governor’s order, future meetings of the City Council will be held virtually and will be broadcast live online, via the Zoom meeting platform and on WBRK for those who have WOW and Comcast cable. To join in, visit the City of Berkley's Livestream.