City prepared to serve and protect community with new equipment and resources, but residents need to do their part to help stop the spread!

With the alarming rise in positive COVID-19 cases throughout Southfield, city leaders strongly remind and request residents to stay at home this Passover and Easter as required by law, and to practice all other recommended protocols and guidelines to help flatten the curve.

“It is vitally important that the community continues to stay safe at home unless it is absolutely necessary to go out for food, medicine or for work in an approved essential capacity,” commented Mayor Ken Siver. “With the Passover and Easter holidays this week, it’s crucial for residents to remember that we must all observe the law and follow other requirements such as maintaining appropriate social distancing of at least six feet apart when out. Traditional holiday dinners and gatherings should not take place for the safety of us all! We can and will get through this together, but we must all stay #SouthfieldStrong until we can gather again.”           

Southfield residents are protected and served by unparalleled police, fire and EMS service with the resources and trained professionals needed to keep the community safe.

“The Southfield Fire Department provides the highest quality life-safety and emergency services available thanks to the commitment and devotion to duty of our members,” added Southfield Fire Chief Johnny Menifee.  “The City has been proactive with the purchase of new state-of-the-art fire equipment and other resources, including a new ladder fire truck, four new fire engines and five new EMS trucks that will be arriving in a few weeks.  These invaluable new resources will further enable our department to provide an even greater level of service to the residents and visitors of Southfield and Lathrup Village.”

Residents are also reminded that violation of the governor’s stay-at-home order could result in up to a $1,000 civil fine, a $500 criminal fine and 90 days in jail. Law enforcement, prosecutors and health departments are empowered to work together to enforce the order as necessary.

“We are in a real battle with COVID-19 and we need to enlist every resident to do their part to help us fight this virus,” stated Southfield Chief of Police Elvin Barren. “We all must do that by following the law, not only this Passover and Easter, but until the governor’s order is lifted. It is imperative to stay safely at home and to not gather in groups of any size. I also remind the community that this is required by law in order to keep everyone safe and that violators could receive a ticket or possibly even jail time. We must all do our part to flatten the curve and reduce infections.“

Mayor Ken Siver declared a State of Emergency on March 13, 2020 in the city of Southfield in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. All city events and activities have been postponed or cancelled until April 30, 2020 or further notice. City Hall (including the Library and P&R Building) and the 46th District Court are closed to the public; however, all essential public safety and public works services (including garbage and recycling pickup) continue to function as normal. Residents can still conduct most city business online, via phone and through the City’s drop box.

The city of Southfield launched the interactive Southfield Coronavirus Hub at https://covid19-southfield.hub.arcgis.com/ to provide the community with the latest information, maps and resources about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Southfield. Residents are also encouraged to continue to visit the City’s website at www.cityofsouthfield.com for regular updates. Additional resources include the CDC's website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html or the State of Michigan's coronavirus web page at www.michigan.gov/coronavirus.