CORONAVIRUS: Lyon County restaurants in preparation for emergency order by adding curbside, other service methods this week

Thursday’s coronavirus news started with two cases of the disease in Morris County. It ended with restrictions on Lyon County’s restaurants, dining facilities and any location serving food.

Lyon County Health Office Renee Hively issued an emergency order Thursday evening, officially saying restaurants, dining facilities, bars, taverns, clubs and movie theaters will be closed effective at 8 am Friday. This ends all dine-in seating arrangements for 30 days, but the affected businesses can provide carryout, drive-thru, curbside and delivery services for food and beverages.

Hively minced no words on why this was in effect.

There are no limits on business hours or delivery distances. Government and judicial functions, healthcare facilities, private business functions and religious and faith-based activities are exempt — so long as less than 10 people are attending.

Radius Brewing had made several adjustments, including cutting its dining room seating in half and taking online orders for delivery, car-side pickup and carryout. Co-owner Chad Swift says the emergency order was inevitable.

Bobby D’s owner Bobby Doudican had also gone through several adjustments, implementing curbside and delivery service over the past week.

Hively says establishments must follow all guidance as provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as federal, state and local public health officials for social distancing and infection control measures.

6:45 pm Thursday: Lyon County restaurants, other dining facilities can offer carryout, delivery, curbside services but are otherwise closed for 30 days

Lyon County’s restaurants, dining facilities and any location serving food will have to change their operations model if they haven’t already done so.

There are no limits on business hours or delivery distances with the emergency order.

Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates and comments.

Emergency Order of Lyon County Health Officer Renee Hively

Emergency Public Health Order issued on this 19th day of March 2020 to mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in Lyon County, Kansas, pursuant to the authority provided in K.S.A. 65-119 and K.S.A. 65-129b and other applicable laws or regulations.

WHEREAS, the Local Health Officer is authorized and required, pursuant to K.S.A. 65-119 and K.S.A. 65-129b to immediately exercise and maintain a supervision over known or suspected cases of any infectious or contagious disease during its continuance, and to issue orders seeing that all such cases are properly handled and that the provisions of the Kansas public health laws as to isolation, quarantine and disinfection are duly enforced: and

WHEREAS, the Local Health Officer is appointed by the Board of County Commissioners and is authorized to prohibit public gatherings when necessary for the control of any all infectious or contagious diseases, pursuant to K.S.A. 65-119: and

WHEREAS on the 12th day of March, 2020 the Governor of the State of Kansas, Laura Kelly, found that a disaster had occurred, or the threat thereof was imminent as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and the confirmed outbreak and person-to-person spread of COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19, a respiratory disease that spreads easily from person to person and may result in serious illness or death, has been confirmed in Kansas, resulting in serious illness and at least one death to date in Kansas; and

WHEREAS, such conditions endanger health, safety and welfare of persons and property within the border of Lyon County, Kansas; and

WHEREAS, to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Lyon County Local Health Officer, all recommend implementation of community mitigation strategies to increase containment of the virus, including cancellation of large gatherings and social distancing in smaller gatherings; and

WHEREAS, the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 and the resulting epidemic in the United States and in Kansas continue to threaten the life and health of our citizens and visitors as well as the economy and remains a public disaster affecting life, health, property, and the public peace.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED by the Local Health Officer, pursuant to the above authorities, that:

All large public gatherings of people in the County are prohibited effective at 8:00 a.m. on March 20, 2020 for 30 days or until further notice. Large public gatherings are those with more than ten (10) people in attendance or anticipated to attend, both indoor and outdoor, except for governmental and judicial functions, healthcare facilities, private business operations, religious and faith-based activities, weddings and funerals. A “gathering” does not include normal operations at spaces where persons may be in transit or coming and going individually or in groups of less than ten (10) persons. For all gathering of people, the health officer requires everyone to follow the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), federal, state and local public health officials.
All restaurants, dining facilities, bars, taverns, clubs, and movie theaters in Lyon County, Kansas are hereby ordered closed to the public effective at 8:00 a.m. on March 20, 2020 for 30 days or until further notice, except that any such establishment may continue to provide carryout, drive-through, and delivery food and beverage services. In all areas, establishments must follow the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), federal, state and local public health officials for social distancing and infection control measures.