O’Fallon plans for reopening in coronavirus transition in phases

As the region moves through the COVID-19 public health crisis with evolving guidelines, it remains business as not-so-usual in O’Fallon for the time being.

However, plans to reopen will be gradually rolled out, depending on the phases announced in the governor’s plan.

“We are taking things one day at a time,” said City Administrator Walter Denton.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has released his “Restoring Illinois” phased, regional reopening plan that specifies three main hurdles each region must jump before moving from the second to the third phase:

• No more than 20% of all COVID-19 tests come back positive, increasing no more than 10 percentage points over two weeks.
• No overall increase in hospital admissions for COVID-19-like illness for 28 days.
• At least 14% of intensive care unit beds, medical and surgical beds, and ventilators available.

St. Clair County is in Phase 2, as is the city, and county both are making plans for Phase 3 and 4. There are five phases.

The earliest date for retail reopenings would be May 29, according to state guidelines.

While everything will not immediately return to normal, adapting activities for virtual presentations will continue to be implemented.

Each spring, the Emergency Medical Services celebrate their national recognition week with open houses and activities. This year, EMS Week will be virtual presentations on Facebook Live at 4 p.m. daily from May 18-22.

The O’Fallon-Shiloh EMS will discuss community safety and “have a little fun,” they said. Their Facebook page can be accessed at: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=OFallon-Shiloh%20EMS.

For the Virtual Open House, May 18 will be focused on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); May 19 will be “Simple Safety”; May 20 will be EMS Kid’s Day; May 21 will be Quick Guide to CPR/Stop the Bleeding; and May 22 will be Virtual Station Tour.

However, the library could partially reopen in Phase 3, which would include limited capacity, face mask requirements and frequent cleaning of surfaces and equipment.

The O’Fallon Public Library’s popular summer reading program for children will be virtual this year.

“Keep an eye on our website for all the details. Naturally, the vast majority of the program will be online as we’ll continue to practice social distancing and other safety protocols even after we reopen,” said Library Director Ryan Johnson.

Johnson said the library launched a service called Hoopla this month. Hoopla is an app that has e-books, audiobooks, movies, TV shows, music, and comics, he said.

“Simply make an account and login with your library card number. The best part? No waiting in line,” he said. “Everything on Hoopla is available for unlimited, simultaneous use.”

Visit ofpl.info/digital for more information on Hoopla and the library’s other digital resources. For children, Johnson encouraged people to visit the library’s Kids’ Page at ofpl.info/kids.

“Our talented folks have put together a ton of great stay-at-home resources for kids and families. You can even attend a virtual story time with Miss Julie or a STEAM lab with Miss Becky,” Johnson said.

Public Safety Department, infrastructure in O’Fallon

As for city services, which are considered essential, Denton said employees are adapting to social distancing, face masks, teleworking, and frequent disinfection.

“Our EMS, police, and fire first responders have worked tirelessly in the face of COVID-19 with increased safety measures. Public Works and Parks workers continue to maintain our infrastructure and open spaces. Building inspectors are still ensuring safe construction practices,” Denton said.

“The O’Fallon Public Safety Department is not only doing their normal great work but are leading the way in keeping others in the community informed of what is happening and the precautions that should be taken,” Mayor Herb Roach said.

Roach said city improvements on roads and infrastructure have not stopped.

“We continue to follow the plan laid out from our studies on resurfacing streets, replacing old water and sewer lines, and taking corrective action on major storm water issues,” he said.

Fire Chief Brad White said O’Fallon Fire Rescue will participate in an Appreciation Drive-By at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital at 7 p.m. May 14 weather permitting.

“We’ll assemble at the cancer center parking lot across the street at 6:45 p.m., he said.

O’Fallon City Hall still mostly working remotely

City Hall has been closed to the public but services have been provided to residents via computer and phone. When it reopens, distancing restrictions and face mask requirements will be in place.

Roach said the city is fully operational with about 90 percent of the staff working remotely.

Phase 3 still limits gatherings to 10, so city council meetings will continue to be virtual until Phase 4, which will allow in-person meetings. City council and committee meetings have been organized as webinars online in the Zoom platform; registration is required.

Pritzker’s March 16 executive order waived the attendance requirements for public meetings to allow for virtual attendance. In-person attendance will not be allowed, but public attendance and comment is available through the virtual meeting.

“Even in these extraordinary circumstances, I believe that city employees have maintained excellent services to residents,” Denton said. “We have even been forced to embrace new technologies that we may not have otherwise considered. As we reopen, I am confident that we will incorporate some of these new practices and we will be better than before COVID-19.”

Garbage collection, summer schedules

As for trash pick-up, Waste Management announced that effective May 11, they will resume the collection of bulky items in the city, and collection will follow regular schedules and guidelines.

“We respectfully ask that residents with a large amount of bulk material continue to adhere to the volume limits of your community. We ask that residents with more items place these items out over time. This is strictly to ensure our collection teams can complete all core services each week,” the company said in a statement.

The department of parks and recreation continues to work on modified summer camps. They are waiting for state guidelines on opening the community pool. The Splash Pad is canceled for this season. Resuming sports leagues and tournaments is another thing they are working on, within the guidelines.

Retail shops, restaurants in O’Fallon

Denton said more work addressing restaurants and retail shops will be forthcoming.

“People will not go to businesses and restaurants unless they feel safe. What can we do to help our residents feel safe and make our businesses successful? How can we support community events that meet the safety guidelines and are safe for our residents?” he said.

Those are issues the city will address as the region moves through the phases.

“One day we will look back at this time and discuss the difficulties faced, the lessons learned, and the accomplishments of this great community,” Roach said.

This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 10:54 AM.