HASTINGS, Mich. — Residents living on the second and third floors of Tyden Lofts are being allowed to return home after samples collected from those areas tested negative for ricin, the Barry-Eaton District Health Department announced Monday.
The update came during a news conference at the Barry Expo Center following several days of testing at the Hastings apartment complex.
“Our residents on the second and third floors are able to start moving back in today,” said Emily Smale, communications specialist for the Barry-Eaton District Health Department . “We’re very excited about this news and really thank the residents of Tyden Lofts for their patience and understanding for this extremely stressful and distressing situation.”
Residents living on the first floor remain displaced as officials await additional test results. Smale said it will likely be a few more days before they can return, depending on the results and whether cleanup is necessary.
The health department did not provide the number of residents displaced. Some are staying together at an undisclosed location, while others are staying with family or friends.
“Even United Way, Commission on Aging, they’ve provided resources, provided transportation, things that folks might need who have been displaced,” Smale said.
Firefighters trained in hazardous-material response have entered the building in protective equipment to retrieve residents’ pets. Smale said the process has taken time because crews can only retrieve a limited number of animals during each entry.
Cats have sometimes been difficult to locate or safely remove, she said. Response teams have worked to identify which apartments still have pets inside and ensure those animals receive food and water.
The health department was notified Thursday, Sept. 10, of a potential ricin exposure at Tyden Lofts and the emergency department at Corewell Health Pennock Hospital.
Officials said the hospital isolated the patient who arrived with the substance, while first responders evacuated Tyden Lofts as a precaution.
Confirmatory testing later detected ricin. Testing was offered to Tyden Lofts residents and employees, along with first responders concerned about possible exposure.
Samples collected as part of the response were sent to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ state laboratory for testing.
Health officials continue to emphasize that there is no known ricin outside the areas already identified.
“We want to assure residents there’s no known ricin in the community outside of the already addressed areas,” Smale said. “The people who live in Hastings are safe.”
The FBI and Michigan State Police are investigating. Officials have not released details about how the ricin got inside the apartment complex.
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