How state coronavirus mandates are affecting city services in O’Fallon

As the public complies with a state Shelter-in-Place executive order through April 7, keeping current on city services, schools, businesses and the public health crisis in O’Fallon has been challenging, as information on the COVID-19 pandemic has changed rapidly.

Here is the latest on city and community services in O’Fallon. These measures are being done to help mitigate the spread of the disease to protect residents, city staff, and to continue to provide essential city services to the community, Mayor Herb Roach said.

Residents should abstain from all nonessential activities. Adhering to the order will save lives. Unless people work for an essential business or are doing an essential activity, they should stay home.

The city is complying with the recommendations of the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control as well as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s March 21 orders, https://www2.illinois.gov/IISNews/21288-Gov._Pritzker_Stay_at_Home_Order.pdf.

The order prohibits things like visiting the homes of friends and holding gatherings of any size and closes all nonessential establishments, including most retail, recreation and entertainment businesses.

It does not prohibit essential activities like going to the grocery store, receiving medical care, or taking a pet for a walk.

At least 15 states have issued Shelter-in-Place orders to help “flatten the curve” and slow the spread.

Roach said widespread transmission would mean large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time, and depending on the severity, it could impact availability of services from public health and healthcare systems. Other infrastructure could be affected.

“Staying home is critical to reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the community,” he said.

Illinoisans should abstain from all nonessential activities. Adhering to the order will save lives and it is the responsibility of every Illinoisan to do their part.

As of March 23, the U.S. had 46,447 confirmed cases, with 587 deaths. In Illinois, there were 1,297 cases in 31 counties, with 12 deaths — a week earlier, on March 16, there were 105 cases in 15 counties. In St. Clair County, a fourth confirmed case was announced March 23.

The state is also reporting that the number of cases having no known cause for infection or due to travel abroad is increasing. IDPH is reporting totals daily at 2:30 p.m.

This new virus is an infectious disease that causes respiratory illness, like the flu, which spreads rapidly through person-to-person contact, often during coughing or sneezing. It has an incubation period of 14 days and can be spread by people who don’t show any symptoms.

Those affected may develop a fever, dry cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath. While most cases result in mild symptoms, some can progress to pneumonia and multi-organ failure. The elderly and those with underlying health conditions are the most at-risk.

During the past week, city departments have made changes to previously announced schedules.

A separate article on businesses can be found here: https://www.bnd.com/news/local/community/ofallon-progress/article241440126.html.

Because of rapidly changing information at the federal and state levels, the city has created a webpage and is providing timely updates, with time and date noted, at: https://www.ofallon.org/home/urgent-alerts/covid-19-updates.

Public Meetings

Starting with the March 16 city council meeting, citizens were asked to watch the meeting online at the city’s website, www.ofallon.org, instead of attending.

But then after the Shelter-in-Place executive order on March with further mandates, the city transitioned to using the Zoom platform for virtual meetings — both for council and for its committee meetings, beginning with the special March 23 council meeting.

If people have information they wish to share with the city council, they should email it to insideofallon@ofallon.org and they will be shared with the city council. All city council meeting agendas are posted online at https://www.boarddocs.com/il/ofallon/Board.nsf.

The city will host other meetings on Zoom in order to improve efficiency and transparency during the pandemic. This will allow members of the public to participate and comment while they are not able to attend in-person because of the City Hall closure.

“We are doing everything we can to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 while still being an open and responsive city government,” Roach said. “This new virtual meeting platform will help us comply with the Open Meetings Act while City Hall is closed to the public.”

In order to access the virtual meeting, please go to the city’s agenda management system (http://www.boarddocs.com/il/ofallon/Board.nsf). People should click on the meeting they wish to view. Each meeting will have instructions on how to join the virtual meeting. The virtual meeting will begin at the scheduled time, but people may enter a virtual “waiting room” prior to the meeting beginning.

People may participate in the meeting using their computer’s existing speakers, microphone and camera (camera not required), or they may call in for audio only.

Instructions specific to the meeting will be provided by a moderator prior to the beginning of the meeting.

Here is a training video on how to join a meeting: https://www.youtube.com/embed.

Parks and Recreation

The Parks and Recreation Department has closed all playgrounds because of the governor’s executive order on social distancing. However, the parks remain open. For questions about a specific program or facility rental, call 618-624-0139.

As of March 13, all spring leagues and programs have been suspended and games and practices were postponed through March 29, but now that Shelter-in-Place is mandated through April 7, that is the new date. They will update accordingly when it is OK to reinstate practices and game play.

Vine Street Market, the seasonal farmers’ market from May to October at the O’Fallon Station, will have a delayed start.

Market Coordinator Sarah Burton said the opening date is no longer May 9, but at this time, they have not announced another day.

“At this time, we are unable to give a definitive answer as to when that date will be. It is important to remember that this situation is fluid and changes are occurring daily,” she said. “We will be diligent in keeping the public posted and will announce a start date when it is safe to do so.”

Burton said their vendors are adjusting daily and offering various delivery and pickup services to the community.

City Services

O’Fallon limited access to city facilities beginning March 18 until further notice. City Hall is closed to the public. But the city is providing services — inspections, water taps and building permits can be scheduled by appointment only by calling City Hall from 618-624-4500 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday

The city will not disconnect water or sewer service for any delinquent payments during this time.

Residents are encouraged to utilize the city’s website, www.ofallon.org or the mobile app “O’Fallon on Demand” during this period of limited access.

Water and sewer customers are still required to pay any balances. Water and sewer bills can be paid online at https://www.ofallon.org/home/pages/pay-my-bill or in the drop-off box located at City Hall or mailed in to 255 S. Lincoln Ave., O’Fallon, Illinois.

Access to the O’Fallon Public Safety building, 285 North Seven Hills Road, will still be open for walk-in reports and public safety concerns. The public is requested to call the Public Safety non-emergency line at 618-624-4545 rather than showing up in person. In the event of an emergency please continue to dial 9-1-1.

Trash Pick-Up

At present, Waste Management is maintaining a standard collection schedule for trash, recycle and yard waste and they are not experiencing any collection interruptions.

“If circumstances change that may impact our ability to provide services as scheduled, we will provide prompt updates to our customers and communities,” a statement said.

They have, however, suspended bulky item collection until further notice, including scheduled events or extra call in service for bulky items, such as large items outside the cart.

“At Waste Management, safety is a core company value and the health and well-being of our employees, customers, and community remains our highest priority. We are taking every precaution to ensure that our company is safely servicing your residents,” the company stated.

“As leaders in our highly regulated industry, we follow strict policies and procedures every day when managing solid waste, including medical waste, to protect our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. We will continue to follow all our protocols and perform our work with the utmost care,” Waste Management said.

Public Library

The O’Fallon Public Library was closed to the public as of March 17.

“While we are champions for libraries and the valuable service they provide to communities, we recognize that no library service is more important than protecting the health of both our patrons and employees. Keeping the library open sends a message that it is safe to come in, sadly it is not. We do not want to violate the trust you put in us by sending mixed messages,” said Library Director Ryan Johnson.

During this shutdown, no library items are due — keep items until the library re-opens and no fines will be assessed. Digital resources are still available — see eBooks & More for a variety of options — on the website, https://ofpl.info. Requests will remain in active status until services resume.

METRO BUS AND METRO LINK

Five Illinois bus routes that currently do not run on Saturdays will operate their normal weekday schedules seven days a week. They are: No. 14 Memorial Hospital-Westfield Plaza; No. 15 Belleville-O’Fallon; No. 17 Carlyle Plaza-17th Street; No. 21 Scott AFB-Main Base Shuttle; and No. 21X Scott AFB-East Base Shuttle, Metro Transit stated in its announcement.

Service on express routes No. 2X Waterloo-Columbia and No 17X Lebanon-Mascoutah will run on weekday schedules until further notice.

For more information, visit the Metro website at metrostlouis.org. People also can get information by texting 314-207-9786 or calling 314-231-2345 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Tips and Resources

Preventing the spread through social distancing and other precautions is recommended. While there are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in O’Fallon, “we still want to be prepared,” Roach said.

The WHO recommends:

• Wash your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
• Maintain social distancing (at least 6 feet between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing).
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth without first washing your hands.
• Practice respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
• If you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early.
• Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider.

O’Fallon will be in a support role to the St. Clair County Emergency Management agency, Police Chief Eric Van Hook said. The Illinois Department of Health is the leading state agency on the coronavirus.

Van Hook said during this time of confusion and fear, the police department is committed to serving the community. They ask that residents educate themselves on the disease and seek out reputable sources of information, such as the CDC and the Illinois Department of Health: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html or www.dph.illinois.gov.

“We are working with local, county, and state agencies to ensure our first responders stay healthy, on the job, and available to serve you,” he said.

The Illinois State Police will work with local law enforcement to enforce this order but adhering to the order will save lives and it is the responsibility of every Illinoisan to do their part.

Law enforcement officials will not stop residents who are on their way to or from work or who are out for necessities like going to the pharmacy or getting groceries, or just taking a walk.

The IDPH has set up a hotline: 800-889-3931 or email: dph.sick@illinois.gov.

On March 11 the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic.

SCHOOLS

Pritzker closed all public and private schools in Illinois as of March 16. The State Board of Education has mandated distance e-learning. The order has been extended through April 7. O’Fallon schools are to have spring break April 8-12, so nothing has been announced about that.

Locally, the public schools affected include O’Fallon Community Consolidated School District 90, O’Fallon Township High School District 203 and Central School District 104. In addition, St. Clare Catholic School and Good Shepherd Preschool will be closed during that time.

Charter Spectrum has offered free internet and WiFi for 60 days to new K-12 and college student households who don’t currently have service. Call 844-488-8395 and ask for the Student Remote Educational Offer.

BUSINESSES

Pritzker closed all bars and restaurants in the state for dining-in to the public, beginning at close of business March 16 through April 7.

That means restaurants can still deliver and provide pick-up services for carryout. Check with each establishment to see new policies and perhaps a limited menu during this closure.

This is the list of essential services that will still be operational through April 7 including, but not limited to:

• Grocery stores
• Gas stations
• Pharmacies
• Police stations
• Fire stations
• Hospitals, clinics and healthcare operations
• Garbage/sanitation
• Public transportation
• Public benefits (i.e. SNAP, Medicaid) hotlines

A full list can be found in the executive order at coronavirus.illinois.gov.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

On March 13, the governor limited gatherings for elderly people at less than 10 and that events over 1,000 should be canceled. Closings were being left up to local jurisdictions and districts.

On March 15, St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern met with Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann and several healthcare professionals to determine a unified course of action, announcing a ban of more than 50 people at events and social gatherings. It recommended conferences, festivals, concerts and weddings be postponed or canceled.

The March 21 Shelter-in-Place mandate prohibited gatherings of any size.

The governor’s office will continue to moderate activities and will make further determinations.

This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 9:54 AM.