Plan for Response and Recovery to COVID-19

Andrew County Plan for Response and Recovery to COVID-19

Andrew County Health Department continues to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and collaborates with local government officials in the response and recovery planning for Andrew County. 

Over the past week, case counts in Missouri have continued to steadily climb and many rural areas have become affected.  Current case counts can be found at https://health.mo.gov.

This framework of response and recovery for Andrew County was built on the guidance of the Whitehouse, CDC, and Missouri DHSS on the reopening of our corresponding entities.

There are several recommended components that assist with continuing to slow the spread:

Maintain Physical/Social Distancing

Increasing Testing Capacity and Rapid Test Results

Ensure Functioning of the Healthcare System

Increase the Supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Implement Comprehensive COVID-19 Surveillance Systems

Massively Scale Contact Tracing and Isolation and Quarantine

Offer Voluntary Local Isolation and Quarantine

Public Use of Face Masks

Guidelines for all Phases:

In accordance with the White House Task Force, and Missouri Department of Health, the following guidelines shall be maintained through all phases of the recovery. 

Individuals: continue to follow state and local guidance, as well as CDC guidance.

  1. Wash your hands often with soap and water.  Use hand sanitizer as an alternative.  Wash your hands after touching frequently used items or surfaces.
  2. Avoid touching your face.
  3. Sneeze or cough into a tissue, throw the tissue away and wash your hands.  Sneeze or cough into your elbow if you do not have a tissue available.
  4. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and items often, using a household cleaner.  Read the label for effective cleaning.  Surfaces include doorknobs, light switches, computer mouse or keyboard, faucets, kitchen and bathroom knobs, remotes, and others.
  5. Consider wearing a face covering in public, where you cannot maintain 6 feet social distancing measures
  6. People who are sick shall stay home.  Do not go to work, school, daycare, or any public setting.  Contact your medial provider for assessment.

Employers:  continue to follow state and local guidance, as well as CDC guidance.

1.  In accordance with federal, state, and local regulations and laws and industry best practices, develop and implement policies for:

a.  Social distancing

b.  Use of personal protective equipment

c.  Sanitation

d.  Use of and disinfection of common and high traffic areas

e.  Business travel

2.  Monitor workforce for symptoms, including temperature checks where appropriate.  Do not allow symptomatic individuals to return to work until 72 hours symptom free.

3.  Working with the local public health agency, develop procedures for workforce contact tracing following an employee with a positive COVID-19 test. 

4.  Develop cleaning protocol for the environment, following an employee with a positive COVID-19 test.

Businesses:  continue to follow state and local guidance, as well as CDC guidelines

  1. Assure that all customers are practicing social distancing and adequate hygiene practices while in respective business.
  2. Implement practices to reduce the risk of COVID-19 for customers.

Phase Specific Guidelines:

Phase 1

Individual Measures

Vulnerable/High Risk individuals shall continue to shelter in place.  Members of households with vulnerable residents should be aware that by returning to work or an environment where distancing is not practical there is the potential to carry the virus back home.  Precautions shall be taken to isolate from vulnerable residents.

All individuals, when in public, shall maximize physical distance from others of at least 6 ft.

Non-essential visits to senior living facilities shall be limited and in accordance with individual facility protocols and guidelines. Those who do interact with residents and patients must adhere to strict protocols regarding hygiene and social distancing when adequate.

Avoid socializing in groups of more than 10 people in circumstances that do not readily allow for appropriate physical distancing.

Minimize non-essential travel and adhere to CDC guidelines regarding isolation following travel.

Community Measures

Schools shall remained closed.

Organized youth activities shall remain delayed.

Parks may be open but playground equipment shall remain closed and social distancing of 6 ft. shall be maintained.

Individual sports such as golf, running, cycling, etc. can remain open and accessible under approved guidelines where appropriate.  In addition no groups of 10 or more and social distancing of 6 ft. shall be maintained.

Group sports such as tennis, basketball, football, soccer, baseball, frisbee golf, etc. shall remain closed due to the risk of close contact and shared equipment.

Public Swimming areas shall remain closed.

Any mass gatherings shall adhere to social distancing of 6 ft. and if unable to maintain this should not occur.

Business Measures

All Businesses shall adhere to the following:

Essential Businesses shall continue to conduct business in accordance with the following:

Non-Essential Business shall conduct business in accordance with the following:

Phase 2 (Tentatively to Begin May 18, 2020)

Individual Measures

Community Measures

 

Organized youth activities may resume practice with strict social distancing of at least 6 ft. and proper disinfection of shared equipment.

Playground equipment may be utilized with proper disinfection by community members before and after use while maintaining 6 ft. social distancing.

Practice for group sports may resume with strict social distancing of 6 ft. and proper disinfection of shared equipment.

Public Swimming areas may operate under approved guidelines from facility and public health guidance.

Any mass gatherings shall adhere to social distancing of 6 ft. and if unable to maintain this should not occur.

Business Measures

All Businesses shall adhere to the following:

Essential Businesses shall continue to conduct business in accordance with the following:

Non-Essential Businesses shall conduct business in accordance with the following:

As of Monday June 1, 2020 at 1201 AM this document shall be considered completed unless otherwise stated.  At that time Andrew County will proceed with following further guidance as issued by the State of Missouri.