By John Estridge
Franklin County’s COVID-19 Task Force is going to reconvene after a couple of months absence.
This is due to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the county. The total stands now as of noon, Tuesday, July 28, at 175 positive cases. That means in two weeks and a day, the increase in positive COVID-19 cases is 40, 49 new cases since July 1 and 22 new cases in less than a week. Deaths remain at eight while recoveries are at 110, according to the Indiana Department of Health website and Franklin County Public Health Nurse.
Franklin County EMA Director Amy Lindsey asked the Franklin County Commissioners about reactivating the task force during the commissioners’ meeting Tuesday morning, July 28.
She said with the surge in the last couple of weeks, people have been asking for more information like the county had before the task force shut down.
Ruther was Zooming the meeting and spoke from that forum. She said the state has taken over the tracking of the cases, but she would get the information from the state and also make that available.
Commission President Tom Linkel said the task force should meet at least twice a week and make their press releases public.
COVID-19 related items took up a large part of the meeting. Commissioners discussed employee protocol during the state’s mandatory mask order.
Linkel said all of the public entering county buildings should be masked. However, as long as county employees can social distance, they do not need to wear masks entering or exiting a building or while at their workplaces. However, if social distancing is not an option, then they should wear their masks.
Commissioner Tom Wilson said if an employee wants to wear a mask all the time that is their prerogative.
Linkel said he has told the county highway department if the employees are driving in their trucks, they do not have to wear masks, but if they are coming into one of the county’s highway garages and social distancing is not an option, then they should wear their masks.
Also, the county highway department is not using time clocks at this time to keep employees from having to be close together at the beginning and end of the workdays. Linkel also said, at the county highway department, start times have been staggered so employees don’t all come to work and leave work at the same time.
The number of people allowed in the commissioners’ meeting was capped at 12 people. Media members get the top priority, according to a recent memo. Commissioners moved from their usual podium which seats four to the county council podium, which seats seven. Auditor Karla Bauman sat at the commissioners’ table, which is across the large meeting room from the council table.
Commissioners also modified their meeting schedule. To date, commissioners met at least three times each month. However, due to the COVID-19 resurgence, they have decreased their meetings to twice a month, only holding them on weeks they need to approve the county’s payroll.
For August, it means the commissioners canceled the Tuesday, Aug. 4, meeting and will only meet on Tuesday, Aug. 11, and Tuesday, Aug. 25.