Carmel mayor pushes for safety procedures at businesses before reopening
CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — Restrictions surrounding the coronavirus are gradually being lifted across the state as Gov. Eric Holcomb plans to release information about the next steps later this week.
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard wants to make sure businesses have safety measures in place in anticipation of the governor’s announcement.
Brainaird has asked the Carmel Fire Department to visit businesses to make sure customers and employees are healthy before walking in and staying safe while inside.
Firefighter Tim Griffin said administration staff members from the department have visited grocery stores, dry cleaners, pharmacies and hardware stores so far. They’re checking out each businesses’ procedures on how employees are slowing down the spread of the virus.
“As first responders, we’re use to dealing with sickness and making sure that we’re safe and covered, but for all of these essential employees right now that are working in the grocery stores, delivering the essential needs that we need to be able to go out and help the citizens, this isn’t something that they’re necessarily use to doing,” Griffin said.
The fire department is working with medical professionals on offering the best practices to keep customers and employees safe.
“Make sure that they’re social distancing, wearing some sort of a mask or face cover, and then testing if they can,” Griffin said. “We also have a best practices list of what to do. Another is temperature checks in the morning, first thing before you get to work, and then encourage people if they feel sick not to come to work.”
Restaurants will also be checked out, but some have already been thinking about adding additional safety measures in their procedure. A2Z Cafe Owner Gina Rosenow said chairs will be removed from selected tables to keep parties 6 feet apart when they reopen.
“You’re welcome to use our menus, but I feel like we’ll probably be going to disposable menus at this point, too,” Rosenow said.
Rosenow mentioned these adjustments will cost money, and, for many restaurants, money is very tight. She said A2Z is still waiting to receive two personal protection loans through the chamber of commerce. Rosenow hopes the community can still support them, despite some new changes going into affect once they reopen.
Rosenow added, “I think most of the restaurants, if they want to survive, are going to have to change their format on how they serve now.”
News 8 asked Brainard if there’s a chance he would extend the stay-at-home order within city limits. He said in a statement, “Indiana is geographically a large state. A rural county in northern or eastern Indiana may be in a place different place in regards to COVID-19 cases and spread of the virus than the denser Indianapolis metropolitan area. We have to look at local Carmel and regional data and any extension would have to be done as a region to be effective. It doesn’t make sense to have a business closed on our side of the street while competitor on the other side of the street is open.
“The data points we need to look to determine reopening are as follows: 1) making certain our hospitals are under 70% capacity so they can handle a surge if necessary; 2)less than 1% active cases in the population as a whole; and 3) 14 days of declining new cases. These criteria are based on medical advice from national experts. We must base these decisions on data, not emotion or politics.”