Cameron declares state of emergency
The Cameron City Council declared a state of emergency after multiple recent COVID-19 diagnoses.
Following state guidelines in conducting meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city council held its meeting via teleconference and unanimously approved the state of emergency declaration.
“It typically does not close any businesses. It allows travel and freedom. A business has to comply with no social gatherings greater than 10 and with the social distancing requirements,” Cameron City Attorney Padraic Corcoran said. “The key for the city of Cameron is local authorities may adopt stricter ordinances, regulations and rules … That is what this ordinance does. It tracks with Clinton County. The exact same thing, but it also grants the mayor, the city manager and other appropriate city officials to take such further action and adopt further rules to protect public health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The ordinance to declare a state of emergency strongly encourages citizens avoid travel unless for work, obtaining food supplies, medicine, medical treatment and outdoor recreation. The emergency declaration also asks citizens avoid gatherings of 10 or more people, implement protective measures such as staying home when sick, frequent hand washing, routinely cleaning surfaces and engage in social distancing of at least 6 feet. It requires restaurants close community seating areas, but continue providing carry-out and drive-thru orders. It requests all businesses adhere to Center for Disease Control recommendations for providing employees personal protection, social distancing and allow sick employees to stay home until his or her symptoms resolve or provided a note from a licensed healthcare provider.
“In our four-county area we have nine confirmed cases as of [Monday]. We have three in Cameron and I’m not sure how the other [six] break out … We want to keep it like that,” Rasmussen said.
Tuesday, city officials outline additional measures to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. The additional changes included: closing hair salons and barber shops, massage parlors and tanning beds, limiting the number of occupants in a business 10,000 square feet and under to 25 percent of the structure's maximum occupancy and 10 percent less for structures more than 10,000 square feet. Mayor Darlene Breckenridge and Councilwoman Julie Ausmus recommended immediately closing the parks. With many home from work, Cameron residents routinely flock to the area city parks, which Ausmus said strikes fear im residents with underlying medical conditions trying to use the park. Rasmussen recommended a middle ground, requesting to keep the parks open but installing signage to remind patrons of social distancing orders.
READ MORE IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF THE CAMERON CITIZEN-OBSERVER.
