Callaway County Health Department working with businesses and residents to reopen community
FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Callaway County Health Department is working to give guidance to residents and businesses as the state moves toward reopening.
Commissioners held a teleconference with health department workers and about a dozen Callaway County businesses Tuesday going over a series of informational videos the health department is working on to give out guidance for reopening.
Health department official Kent Wood said the first video on reopening guidance is scheduled to be released on Wednesday. He said the videos will be available on the Fulton city website and YouTube.
Wood said the health department will break down information from the CDC, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and Gov. Mike Parson's office.
Callaway County Western Commissioner Roger Fischer said the informational videos will keep residents and businesses safe.
"We have to stay ahead of (COVID-19) and not react to it," Fischer said. "This is the educational process we have to go through to keep everyone safe."
Fischer said the videos will be focused on how patrons can keep themselves safe and how businesses can keep workers safe.
Wood said the county will not go back to "business as usual" right away.
"As this is phased in, we want to make sure that the sense is we're not going back to the old way. We need people to think ahead before they start to go back out," Wood said.
Wood said area businesses planning their reopening can contact health department workers to set up walk-throughs to make sure social distancing guidelines are being followed.
"I'm excited that we have this opportunity to reopen, but we want to do it slowly and thoughtfully," Fischer said. "If the numbers start to go the other way, we're going to have to draw back."
The health department has confirmed 20 cases of COVID-19 and one coronavirus-related death as of Tuesday. Health department officials haven't confirmed a new novel coronavirus case since April 19.
