(Spirit Lake)– Local health officials say they’re concerned with the reopening of some retail establishments and restaurants beginning Friday, saying they’re hopeful business owners will be responsible and do the right things. Dr. Zach Boras is a physician at Lakes Family Practice in Spirit Lake and is Medical Director and President of Dickinson County Public Health…
“So the best things that we can be doing are to follow the Governor’s guidelines to a T and the recommendations from the Department of Public Health which go more extensively. So for example, restaurants are required to only operate at 50 percent capacity and are required to have six feet between tables. At the same time they are encouraged to have their staff wearing masks, to screen people at the door to make sure that they’re not showing signs of illness; to encourage patrons to wear masks and stay atleast six feet apart if at all possible. You know nothing has really changed in terms of what we’ve been saying all along. This is still very infectious, that the best ways you can stay protected are to stay home, stay safe. At the same time as things do open if your are choosing to put yourself out there make sure that you’re doing so if you are healthy and don’t have pre-existing conditions and if you do go out make sure you’re wearing a mask and make sure you’re staying six feet away from folks at the very least if at all possible, wash your hands frequently, don’t touch your face, etcetera.”
Dr. Boras says one of the concerns he has is with how the restrictions will be policed and enforced…
“I have actually contacted emergency management this morning to ask them the same questions. I know that some of the local Police Departments are planning to be checking in on establishments and looking at their capacity. I think that there’s not a requirement any more that Fire Marshal capacities be posted, but that might be encouraged again just so that we have a sense of how many folks are supposed to be in each of these establishments, but it may be municipality by municipality and I’m encouraging those law enforcement agencies to be diligent. Again we don’t know what those penalties will be for the business owners if they’re breaking those, but I think we’ve got to trust that everyone is going to be doing this in good faith because we have a responsible business community and we don’t want people to be getting sick in Okoboji and have the place shut down again in three, four or five weeks.”
He says the reopening is coming at a time when Dickinson county is yet to see it’s peak caseload of COVID-19…
“We’re not sure how big it will be; we’re not sure how many folks will get sick. We do feel we’re capable of handling it at our hospital and with our referral partners, but it would be a shame to have large spikes just as we want our summer to be getting under way and then have businesses close again. So we want everyone to be responsible in how they’re interacting with each other.”
Dr. Boras adds the minimal availability of testing continues to be an issue locally. He says he wants to see the Governor’s “Test Iowa” initiative brought to the lakes area.
