Sept. 11, 2001, changed the procedures related to flying commercially, and COVID-19 is changing various requirements for how businesses will operate in the upcoming months, Logan County Health District officials reported this week during a Logan County Business Resource conference call.
Logan County Health Commissioner Dr. Boyd Hoddinott and Environmental Health Director Tim Smith have been working on plans to determine how to proceed with allowing some businesses to re-open as the stay-at-home order expires May 1 and what that will look like for Logan County.
“There is unlikely to be a vaccine for a year, perhaps much longer,” the health commissioner said. “Social distancing has proven to work for 100 years.”
The LCHD recently sent a letter to all businesses in the community, outlining precautions that will be required as companies re-open, which includes submitting a one-page request to the health district, along with a diagram of the business space.
The letter is available at the health district’s website, www.loganhealth.org, and on their Facebook page as well.
During the conference call, the health commissioner said the businesses who have submitted requests so far have followed the guidance and precautionary measures, such as placing a limit on the total number of people permitted in the store at one time, conducting regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces, providing hand santizer and wipes to employees and customers, and discouraging hand shaking.
Monitoring employee health and ensuring that employees do not have a temperature greater than 100.4 when reporting to work is another requirement.
“I’ve seen some terrific plans so far; I’m impressed with what people are sending in,” Dr. Hoddinott said.
Earlier this month at the Logan County District Board of Health meeting, the health commissioner related that the stay-at-home measures implemented state-wide have been effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. He shared that locally, the coronavirus cases fortunately had not reached epidemic levels.
Friday, the LCHD reported a total of 17 cases of the virus in Logan County, along with five probable cases. Of the 17 confirmed cases, eight of those individuals have now recovered.
Statewide Friday afternoon, the Ohio Department of Health reported 14,581 confirmed cases in the state and 649 confirmed COVID-19 deaths.
As the businesses are able to gradually re-open, Dr. Hoddinott said precautions will be in place with an “emergency brake” if situations develop that put the public’s health in danger.
“The health district will manage this carefully, test wherever needed to identify local outbreaks, and isolate and quarantine as indicated. There is also an emergency break to shut down again should cases get out of hand.”
The health commissioner and the health district are advising everyone in the community to wear a cloth mask when around others or out in public. The mask should cover one’s mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others or out in public or in buildings.
“This will be effective while out in community and at work as we slowly return to some kind of normalcy,” Dr. Hoddinott said.
“This virus is incredibly contagious in enclosed areas. Many people infected are without symptoms or have very little symptoms.
“Children who get COVID-19 do not typically have symptoms. Only a few get serious illness and they breathe off a much smaller viral load than a sick adult.”
“In Italy, of their 20,000 deaths, the average age was 80 years and on average, those who died had three chronic illnesses.”
As spring temperatures continue to warm the area, Dr. Hoddinott urged individuals get outside when possible, as “being outdoors in the sun increases vitamin D and helps your immune system and UV rays destroy virus.”
In addition to wearing masks and social distancing, washing sands frequently and cleaning surfaces are extremely important, health district officials said.