A news release from the Allen County Board of Commissioners:
Commissioners Issue Statement on COVID-19
(March 11, 2020) — The Allen County Commissioners today issued the following statement in response to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak:
“As you know, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been declared a pandemic The Allen County Commissioners’ goal at this time is to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in Allen County by minimizing transmission, sharing guidance to prepare our community to respond, and ensuring our departments and operations have a strong continuity plan in place.
The Commissioners’ Office is working closely with the Allen County Health Department and following the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Indiana State Department of Health. There are steps individuals and organizations in our community can take to help minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread:
- Practice everyday preventive actions such as performing frequent hand hygiene, washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (especially when hands are visibly soiled) or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%–95% alcohol; covering your cough and sneeze; avoiding ill people, and staying home when sick (except to seek medical care). These simple actions can prevent the spread of many illnesses, including COVID-19.
- Stay home from work, school, or group gatherings if you are ill.
- Businesses and employers should actively encourage all employees to stay home when sick, perform hand hygiene, and cover coughs and sneezes. Businesses should review their emergency operations plan, including identification of essential business functions, out-of-area travel plans, teleworking and flexible sick leave policies.
- Community- and faith-based organizations should review existing emergency operations plans, including strategies for social distancing and modifying large gatherings such as concerts and festivals.
- Help reduce the spread of rumors. Let people know that viruses cannot target people from specific populations, ethnicities, or racial backgrounds. Fight stigma and fear by supporting people who may be coming back to school or work after traveling internationally or completing a quarantine or isolation period for COVID-19.
The Commissioners’ Office will continue to work with local public health partners and is in the process of updating the County’s emergency operations plan for county offices. We will inform the public of those plans once they have been finalized.For continuing updates and information on the Coronavirus, please go to the Allen County Health Department website at allencountyhealth.com. The department’s information will also be shared on the County’s website and social media channels.”
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