Cooper County Public Health Center

17040 Klinton Drive Boonville, MO 65233

Telephone: (660) 882-2626 ~ Fax: (660) 882-2586

www.coopercopublichealth.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    

April 6, 2020    2:35pm

Media Contact:

Melanie Hutton RN, MSN Administrator

melanie.hutton@coopercopublichealth.com

(Boonville, MO) The Cooper County Public Health Center would like to clarify the rules for lodging establishments to remain open during the "Stay at Home" order. Lodging is considered essential as there are essential service responders to the pandemic that still must travel or need shelter for a variety of reasons.

The ability to stay open is not a promotion of tourism. Lodging establishments still must observe fundamental rules during the pandemic as all other essential businesses. They will have to assure clients are staying 6 feet apart in public areas, marking floor with tape at front desk, a high level of sanitation throughout the facility, handwashing and masks. Please see the guidance below if your facility offers any of these amenities:

Common use areas shall be closed to your customers to help in the prevention and spread of the COVID-19 Virus.

• Swimming Pools
• Spas
• Exercise rooms or gyms
• Breakfast buffets

Breakfasts if provided should consist of ready to eat individually packaged foods that can be taken back to the guest’s room. You could prepackage items in individual bags to be offered to include the necessary disposable tableware and napkins. You want to minimize contamination of single use items such as cups, plastic ware, plates and bowls.

Practice safe social distancing and keep groups at 10 or less people in the lobby and other common areas.

Clean and disinfect contact surfaces often such as:

• Surfaces in common use areas
• Front desk counter
• Touch pad or pens used to sign in
• Elevator buttons and door handles
• Other frequently touched items and surfaces

Hotel personnel should wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and use disposable paper towels to dry hands with.

The lodging facility should keep track of employment rosters and guest registers so if a positive case exposure should occur at the facility the owner of the facility can share information with the health center for contact-exposure tracing purposes.

It is important that every member of the community continue to follow the CDC basic hygiene preventative measures. These measures include avoiding contact with people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, proper handwashing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, and staying home when sick.

The Cooper County Public Health Center has taken and will continue to take the necessary precautions to keep our community safe and will continue to diligently monitor the COVID-19 situation as it evolves by following the CDC guidelines to protect public health and limit spread of this infection.