FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Springfield Mayor Ken McClure has made a slight amendment to his Road to Recovery Phase 2 emergency order that was issued Wednesday, May 20. As City and Health Department staff received feedback about the order throughout the day from various stakeholder groups, it became evident that an update was needed to clarify intent with regard to determining occupancy.
To clarify and simplify the calculation needed to determine allowed occupancy, the amended order will direct the occupancy calculation to be based on the entire facility’s square footage, rather than on individual rooms. This still requires providing proper physical distancing, yet gives facilities more flexibility on how they use their space. The amendment also sets a floor of 35 people minimum in certain categories, meaning that the allowed occupancy can be determined by using the calculation or they can allow 35 people, whichever is more.
For example: A 10,000 square-foot church will determine their allowed occupancy by calculating 10,000 square feet divided by 30 times .25 (83 people). This is in lieu of starting the calculation using the square footage of just the sanctuary. This change can be applied across the board to all facilities and outdoor areas identified in our order and Road to Recovery Plan.
The full order is located on the City’s website, along with a Road to Recovery Plan document that maps out projected phases 3 and 4. Future orders may not match projections exactly, so citizens and business owners are recommended to watch for future updates online and in future news briefings. The intent of the Road to Recovery orders is to reopen the local economy safely and in a measured approach. This is Phase 2 in a multi-phased approach in which the community will open further as progress in made. The Road to Recovery orders still require businesses and organizations to adhere to social distancing to the greatest degree possible and to cleaning guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including, but not limited to when customers are standing in line (should be 6 feet apart) or when individuals, including employees, are using shared indoor or outdoor spaces.
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Media may contact Cora Scott, City of Springfield Director of Public Information & Civic Engagement, at 417-380-3352 or [email protected] or Kathryn Wall, Springfield-Greene County Public Health Information Administrator, at 417-874-1205 or [email protected]