Although a COVID-19 case has not been reported in Atchison County as of Monday, March 16, 2020, the long-term effects of the pandemic have begun to be felt. Store shelves have repeatedly been made bare of toilet paper, wipes, hand sanitizer, and other cleaning products. Local organizations and businesses have started cancelling events, some of which have been going on for several decades, and schools have closed temporarily. This is a scary time for all of us, but something we can get through. Taking normal, sanitary precautions such as washing your hands with lots of soap and hot water and staying home if sick is necessary. We must also continue to support our local businesses, as they depend on their customers to stay afloat. There are also many people willing to help those in need during this crisis. Let us all do our part to be a part of the solution.
St. Paul’s Catholic Church has cancelled its Spring Dinner. Organizer Marilyn Alldredge remarked, “Due to the concern of the coronavirus spread, St. Paul Catholic Church, in all good conscience of the welfare and safety of our friends and neighbors, has cancelled the annual Spring Dinner scheduled for March 22 in Tarkio. We’ve never had to cancel in all the 55 years of hosting, but feel it is the sensible decision to make. God bless you all and take good care!”
Another big event that Atchison County hosts that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic is the Community Hospital-Fairfax (CH-F) Celebrity Waiter Dinner, which was scheduled to take place this past weekend in Fairfax. The hospital’s annual fundraiser is a huge event that people from all over northwest Missouri attend. Organizers said, “We have made every attempt to contact our ticket holders, sponsors and volunteers although we have not been able to reach everyone. Please spread the word! We hope for days ahead when we might be able to gather together and enjoy our wonderful talent! Ticket holders may request a refund beginning Monday, March 15, 2020, by calling 660-686-2350. For those of you who have continued your contribution, we are extremely grateful.”
CH-F has also updated their visitors’ policy to include: no visitors with symptoms of illness are allowed; only two visitors per patient will be allowed; and visitors younger than 14 years old will not be allowed to visit. For the hospital’s clinics, if you have a respiratory illness, please call the clinic before you come. The numbers are available at www.FairfaxMed.com.
In light of precautionary closures and the general recommendation to limit public gatherings at this time, Atchison County Development Corporation (ACDC) has cancelled its community lunches in both Tarkio (March 18) and Fairfax (March 25).
The Women in Ag event has been postponed.
The Tarkio Easter Egg Hunt has been cancelled.
The Fairfax Junior/Senior Prom, schedued for this Saturday, March 21, has been postponed.
County Government Day has been cancelled.
Youth soccer has been cancelled.
The Pinewood Derby race has been postponed until April.
The Tarkio High School Baccalaureate has been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.
Battle of the Books has been postponed.
Tarkio Tech Career Day has been cancelled.
Effective Monday, March 16, all games and practices of the Tarkio youth baseball program are cancelled through Friday, April 3.
All Missouri 4-H activities have been suspended through May 15.
In-person WW workshops have been postponed until the week of April 4 at the earliest.
The Olive Cemetery Fish Fry scheduled for March 21 has been postponed until further notice.
Besides local events, businesses are also taking action to protect their personnel and customers from the spread of disease.
Tiffany Care Centers, to include Pleasant View Nursing Home in Rock Port, has restricted all visitors. Tarkio Rehabilitation and Health Care is not allowing any visitors.
The C.A.R.E. House will be closed March 19 to April 6. Counseling and support group will also be cancelled for the next two weeks. For C.A.R.E. services, call 877-835-7233 (toll free) or 660-744-7233. C.A.R.E. is asking that no donations be given at this time.
Some of the churches in the area are also changing protocols, such as not having communion, not passing offering plates, and not conducting fellowship practices of shaking hands. Some are also cancelling services and providing worship videos online.
The Rock Port Center has also taken action, and will not serve meals in-house. Senior clients may order meals on Mondays and Thursdays only, but must call before 10:00 a.m. (no exceptions). To pick up a meal at the center, use the south door. Pick-up meals will be placed on a table with your name. Please sign and contribute if you can for your meal. Senior clients may be approved for home delivery on Mondays and Thursdays. This will be done on a case-to-case basis. Those receiving home-delivered meals are asked to leave a table or cooler outside their door or just inside their door for meals to be placed. The home deliveries on Mondays will include a hot meal for that specific day as well as one refrigerated meal and one frozen meal. On Thursdays, home deliveries will include one hot meal and one refrigerated meal. Please call 660-744-5812 with any questions.
The Tarkio Nutrition Center will stay open at this time, but is also limiting their home deliveries. Deliveries will take place once a week (Friday).
At Atchison-Holt Electric Cooperative (AHEC), safety is their number one priority. They are taking a proactive approach against COVID-19 to protect the health of their employees, members, customers, and communities. As of March 18, 2020, AHEC will be closed to the public. They will re-evaluate the situation at a later date for further action. You may pay your bill online at www.ahec.coop, make payments by phone at 844-859-5980 or you may drop your payment in the night depository. If you have an outage or need immediate assistance, please call the office at 660-744-5344. Your patience, understanding and cooperation is appreciated.
The Shenandoah Medical Center Health Fair blood draw in Tarkio Tuesday, March 17, has been postponed until further notice.
Tarkio Parks and Recreation continues to take the safety and health of our community as a top priority, taking actions to limit the spread of this COVID-19. At this time, Tarkio parks remain open. Be advised that the amenities in these areas are not sanitized, so use with caution at your own risk and follow the CDC health and safety guidelines.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
Governor Mike Parson signed Executive Order 20-02 on March 13, 2020, declaring a state of emergency in Missouri in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). “As Governor, I have no greater responsibility than to keep all Missourians healthy and safe,” Governor Parson said. “After further consideration, we have decided that declaring a state of emergency is the next appropriate step to protect public health.”
The Executive Order was not made because the current healthcare system is overwhelmed or unprepared, and it is not intended to close public schools. School administrators should seek the guidance of local health officials when thinking about closing their schools.
Rather, the purpose of Executive Order 20-02 is to allow more flexibility in utilizing resources and deploying them around the state where they are most appropriate. By signing this Executive Order, Governor Parson invoked the Missouri State Emergency Operations Plan.
Executive Order 20-02 will enable Governor Parson to waive certain state laws and regulations where necessary and direct state agencies to report any unfair market practices. Declaring the state of emergency will also provide access up to a combined total of approximately $7 million in state funds beyond the federal funds Missouri expects to receive.
“Governor Parson’s actions taken today support our public health preparations here in Missouri that we have been working on daily since January 27,” said DHSS Director Dr. Randall Williams. “This gives us a different set of resources that we will use to further our response at both the state and local level.”
In addition to the Executive Order, the state is also taking steps to expand COVID-19 testing capabilities through coordination with the University of Missouri and Washington University laboratories.
The Missouri State Public Health Lab has shared a positive COVID-19 sample with Washington University, which will allow its lab to create a control and conduct testing in the near future. The state is currently in the process of doing the same with the University of Missouri.
This should increase testing capabilities in Missouri by thousands. Additionally, the Missouri State Public Health Lab will soon be receiving more tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pushing its capacity to 1,600 patient tests.
The state is also working to address concerns regarding the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for responders outside of healthcare. The Governor’s office has been in communication with the Missouri Foundation for Health and will be working jointly with the organization to help identify funding gaps in services and equipment for vulnerable Missouri populations and communities.
In addition to these efforts, the state is also in the process of reviewing federal guidance allowing for additional flexibility in health insurance coverage and unemployment benefits.
Finally, Governor Parson believes Missouri will have the capability to deploy temporary structures in coordination with the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency and the Missouri National Guard should the need arise.
“My administration will continue to monitor the situation and all options available to provide the necessary resources,” Governor Parson said.
As of March 16, eight cases of COVID-19 had been reported in Missouri. Positive cases are residents of St. Louis County (2), St. Louis City (1), Greene County (3) and Henry County (1). The location of the newest case was to be announced as soon as public health professionals make notifications. The state laboratory is no longer required to send positive tests to the CDC for confirmation. Results from tests conducted at the state laboratory are considered final.
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Also on March 16, in response to COVID-19, the Supreme Court of Missouri suspended – subject to certain listed exceptions – all in-person proceedings in all appellate and circuit courts, including all associate, family, juvenile, municipal and probate divisions, through Friday, April 3. The Court may extend its order as circumstances warrant.
The Court’s order authorizes the presiding judges of each of the state’s 46 judicial circuits and the chief judge of each of the three districts of the state’s court of appeals to determine the manner in which the listed exceptions to in-person proceedings are to be conducted. It further gives the judges presiding over such proceedings discretion to excuse jurors or other individuals who cannot or should not appear as a result of risks associated with COVID-19.
The order does not affect a court’s ability to consider or rule on any matter that does not require an in-person proceeding. It also does not affect required deadlines through Missouri’s electronic filing system.
Atchison County schools will be in session through Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic Fairfax, Rock Port and Tarkio will NOT be in session Thursday, March 19, through Friday, April 3, 2020. The current plan is to resume on Monday, April 6, 2020. Athletic activities/practices and all other events will not be held if school is not in session.
TAC will be closed to all students until further notice.
All buildings in the Rock Port R-II School District will be closed, including the weight room.
