Columbia City Council scheduled to vote on ratifying health order

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

City Council is schedules meet on Tuesday to discuss ratifying the city's current health order, as it's set to expire September 17th.

Tuesday is expected be the only meeting before the health order is scheduled to expire, so city council will need to decide on a resolution at that meeting.

This, coming as the county nearly doubled the previous record for new daily cases Saturday with 221. Of those, 182 coming from the 18-22 age range.

The city's agenda does have a drafted resolution that would extend the health order to last longer than three weeks.

Scott Clardy, assistant director of Columbia/Boone Health Department said he isn't sure what level of support an extension of the health order would receive.

Clardy said he hadn't heard anyone voice their support, or disapproval of the proposed resolution.

The assistant director added that if an extension is passed, he'd expect it to be at least two weeks.

This would be, "in the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of the City of Columbia, Missouri," the resolution stated.

The current health order requires bars and restaurants serving alcohol to stop serving at 9 p.m., and close all together at 10 p.m.

Stephanie Browning, the director of the department, said this should allow people to sit, have their drinks and have everyone out by 10 p.m.

Dance floors are closed under the order and entertainment venues are limited to fewer than 100 people.

"Big groups gathering, they aren't wearing their masks, they aren't socially distancing," Browning added.