City of Edwardsville is open, but not until your temperature has been taken
Edwardsville officials announced in an open letter to citizens Saturday that the city government will remain open for the time being as concerns of coronavirus spread grow.
Citizens who want to attend meetings, however, will be screened first with thermal temperature checks and be asked to wash their hands before entering. The city also has moved its public meetings to the Wildey Theatre at 252 N. Main St., through April.
“The Wildey Theatre was chosen because it provides for adequate social distancing, both for officials and the general public,” said a letter signed by Mayor Hall Patton and Emergency Management Coordinator R.W. Welle. “The Wildey also provides larger restrooms for thorough handwashing.”
Those who visit the Edwardsville Library will follow similar procedures as those for attending public meetings, the letter stated.
The library will remain open until a major event, such as an outbreak in the city, would force a temporary close, Patton and Welle said. They said keeping the library open allows the public access to information they might otherwise not have available.
The letter said the the threat of the virus, also called COVID-19, is unlike any the city has dealt with before.
“In the midst of this crisis, we believe the City has a responsibility for the continuity of government so that we can be here when you need us most,” the letter stated. “We must demonstrate an informed and measured response, setting an example for the rest of the community.”
Patton and Welle recognized that though most who contract the virus will only have mild symptoms, they could pass it on to others who do “not have the capacity to fight off its effects.”
“This can lead to critical illness, and could in fact overrun the community’s medical infrastructure if left unchecked,” the letter states.
In the letter, Patton and Welle say that they will tailor their response to the specific needs of the city, and will provide information to citizens based on facts, reports and recommendations.
Larger events at the Wildey have been postponed, but city buildings will remain open while staff disinfects surfaces. The Edwardsville Emergency Operations Center will be staffed during normal business hours, and will ramp up further if needed, the letter states.
“Likely there is no one in Edwardsville who has not already been impacted by this pandemic,” the letter states. “Daily lives have been – and will continue to be – disrupted. This forces us all to share in the effort to slow and hold down the effects of the coronavirus.”
This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 6:25 PM.
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