Lyon County Public Health is moving into the next phase of the coronavirus recovery process effective immediately.
Lyon County commissioners have approved a new health order during their weekly action session Thursday. The key components of this move are to increase the size of mass gatherings to 45 instead of 15 as had been in place and to allow businesses, including bars and nightclubs, to open up with social distancing in place.
Health Officer Renee Hively favors the plan, even with lingering concerns about so-called “super spreader” large-scale events and recent clusters over the past month.
The new modified Phase 3 recovery plan is in effect until July 9 unless altered by the County Commission. The newest phase stretches longer than any previous phase announced by the county at just over a month.
County Counselor Marc Goodman says the extended timeline will allow for more consistency in the local community.
Goodman also says he will be making strong recommendations that law enforcement not enforce the 45-person limit at the planned protest events Friday because the right to protest is guaranteed in the Constitution.
In other business Thursday, commissioners continued to receive appropriation requests from local organizations for the 2021 fiscal year. Thursday’s requests came from Newman Regional Health in the amount of $300,000, $250,000 of which will be utilized for much-needed roofing repairs to the hospital while the remaining $50,000 will be used to cover the cost of staffing for Newman’s expanded COVID-19 testing efforts.
Lyon County Extension requested a flat sum of $300,000 while the Lyon County Conservation District requested $30,000, also flat from 2019, and Lyon County Register of Deeds Wendy Weiss requested just over $17,000 a slight increase over previous years due to the need for a floater position within the Register of Deeds office.
The Lyon County Commission will reconvene for their weekly action session next Thursday at 8 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse. That meeting will be viewable on the county’s Facebook page.
