Updates to Dade County Stay-at-Home Directives

Shortly after this week's edition The Vedette went to press, the Dade County Health Department issued updated "Stay-at-Home Rules" superseding portions of the health ordinance passed last week.

Requirements of the revised measure include:

For all Persons and Organizations – take appropriate action to prevent any planned or spontaneous gathering of 10 people or more, inclusive of all persons present within the single space or room.

Those present and not residing in the same domicile (home or residence), will maintain a distance of 6 feet or greater at all times.

Gatherings will be limited to the essential time necessary to complete the transaction, business, or communication.

Owners and organizers are responsible for ensuring frequent cleaning of all surfaces, as directed by the Dade County Health Department.

Essential retail sales locations are limited to a total number of customers equal to 10 percent of the total square footage of the building divided by 30. Note – this number is exclusive of employees and individuals delivering products and providing services necessary to continued operations.

Non-Essential Businesses – must not operate until the authorizing emergency declaration is lifted or allowed to expire. Non-essential businesses and/or services include all businesses and/or services not specifically designated as "essential" in these rules.

Those non-essential businesses and services include, but are not limited to:

- Gymnasiums (unless operated by and at a medical facility), fitness centers, and health clubs.

- Personal services – including, tanning salons and services, nail services, spa type services, therapeutic massage (unless under the care of a physician.)

- Hair cutting, styling, washing, or coloring services.

- Other types of non-physician dermatological services.

- Body decoration/modification services, including tattooing, piercing, branding, scarification, shaping, implants, scalpelling, and painting.

- Domesticated animal grooming services.

- Wedding and Wedding Services.

- Auction services – not related to legally required estate sales and essential supply chains (food, medical, energy, transportation, water, and defense.)

- Retail stores not providing essential goods and services, such as, but not limited to, furniture stores, clothing stores, general merchandise, and consignment goods stores.

- Athletic events, including, but not limited to, athletic leagues, games, tournaments, practices, or other events have more than 10 people total in the same space or do not maintain the 6-foot distancing requirements.

Essential Businesses – May continue modified operations as directed in these rules.

- Healthcare and Public Health Services – Broadly interpreted to ensure continued delivery of healthcare. This includes mental health services, home health and care, pharmacies, assisted and skilled care facilities, blood and plasma donation services, and other direct and indirect care services.

- Veterinary care and other healthcare services for animals, including boarding services.

- Public Safety Services – This includes Law Enforcement, Security Services, Fire Services, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Dispatch, County Coroner, Emergency Management, other first responders necessary to prevent, respond, and mitigate to emergency or hazardous situations, whether paid or volunteer.

- Mortuary Services, including funeral homes, crematoriums and cemetery workers. Not more than 10 persons at a time will be allowed into a funeral, visitation, wake, or other service.

- Social Services, which provide food, shelter, and other necessities of life to disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals.

- Emergency Shelters, during emergency conditions person may enter shelter, irrespective of the 10-person limit or the required 6-foot distancing requirements. This is a short-term emergency shelter to protect persons from an immediate threat, such as severe weather.

- Grocery stores, food banks, convenience stores and other retailers, whose primary business is the purveying of canned, fresh, or frozen fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, and other necessary household sundries (such as cleaning, personal hygiene, laundry, baby goods, safety, and nutrition) Social distancing of 6 feet between no domicile individuals must be maintained. Only necessary persons should be present to shop. The health department suggests the 1 cart/1 person rule. The use of drive-through, curbside, carry away, and delivery services are strongly encouraged. Farmers markets, produce stands, and other temporary locations must provide drive thru, curbside, or carry away services.

- Businesses whose primary purpose is the retail sale and distribution of alcohol are permitted to operate. Owners and/or employees must take appropriate action to prevent more than 10 people total in the same space and the people must maintain the 6-foot distancing requirements.

- Restaurants, Schools, or other organizations providing drive through, curbside, carry away, and delivery services of cooked or uncooked food, as allowed by law.

- Agriculture and food cultivation, including farming, livestock, fishing, and direct services that provide direct services, products, and equipment that ensure essential food chain operations.

- Construction services, critical home and building repairs, plumbing, electrical, and other service necessary to provide essential safe, sanitary, and secure building and home systems, including lawn and landscaping services that manage grass, weeds, and vegetation.

- Pest control for the interior and exterior of homes and buildings, provided social distancing of 6 feet between non-domiciled individuals be maintained.

- Inspection service for construction and repairs, as required and necessary, for new and existing homes and buildings.

- Building and supply stores, retail and wholesale, necessary construction and building services. Social distancing of 6 feet between non-domiciled individuals must be maintained.

- Home care services, such as cleaning, especially in support of other essential employees, provided social distancing of 6 feet between non-domiciled individuals is maintained at all times.

- Public infrastructure support and maintenance. Including public works installation, inspection, and support.

- Waste and Wastewater maintenance and operations, including processing, treatment, conveyance, and distribution.

- Energy, electricity, petroleum, natural and propane gas - acquisition, production, generation, processing, storage, and wholesale and retail distribution. This includes the retail sale of individual petroleum fuels and fuel oils, natural and propane gases, and batteries for vehicles.

- Communications infrastructure support and maintenance. Including the installation of communication equipment and infrastructure in homes and buildings.

- Information technology development, management, support, and security, including client service centers. Social distancing of 6 feet between non-domiciled individuals must be maintained.

- Hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, provided they offer only drive through, curbside, carry away, and delivery food services.

- Logistics and transportation services of goods and people. Including for-hire and not-for hire providers and businesses that ship and/or deliver food, goods, and services directly to businesses and residences. Social distancing should be practiced to the extent practicable between non-domiciled individuals must be maintained when sharing space in a vehicle of design.

- Vehicle repair and maintenance facilities. Social distancing of 6 feet between non-domiciled individuals must be maintained.

- Vehicle parts stores, manufacturers, and suppliers, retail and wholesale, necessary. Social distancing of 6 feet between non-domiciled individuals must be maintained.

- Childcare facilities, providing services to employees, managers, operators, and owners of essential businesses, services, and activities. Stable groups of 10 or less per, appropriately sized, room must be maintained. Stable groups are the same 10 or fewer children grouped together each day. There should be no combining or splitting or groups once established. Social distancing to the extent practicable between non-domiciled individuals must be maintained.

- Legal and financial services including banks, property services, appraisal, title and inspection services. Social distancing of 6 feet between non-domiciled individuals must be maintained.

- Necessary local, county, state, and national government services, as determined by the elected officials with jurisdiction over the service or office.

- Mailing and shipping services, private and/or government operated.

- Critical supply chains, including food, medical, energy, transportation, water, and defense supply chains.

- Legally protected activities.

- Constitutionally protected religious activities. Owners, employees, organizers, and clergy must take appropriate action to prevent no more than 10 people at an event or service, including food or supply distribution. People must also maintain the 6-foot distancing requirements. Religious activity to support distance and/or virtual services is strongly encouraged.

Also, as allowed by RSMo. 44.101 - the lawful possession, transfer, sale, transportation, storage, display, or use of firearms or ammunition.

These revised stay-at-home rules were issued pursuant to Section 192.300 RSMo and CSR 20-20.050(3). The Board of Trustees of the Dade County Health Department are authorized and have promulgated orders intended to enhance the public health and prevent the infectious, contagious, communicable, or dangerous diseases, such as the COVID-19 virus, in the county.

The Dade County Health Department is authorized to promulgate such mandatory or advisory rules, policies, and guidance as is necessary and appropriate to implement the order. Mandatory rules and policies so promulgated shall have the force of law to the greatest extent possible.

These rules are intended to be an intermediate step designed to decrease or prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community. If these rules are not complied with or prove ineffective, the Health Department reserves the right to institute additional and more stringent mandatory rules up to and including stop movement and/or shelter-in-place orders.

Enforcement – The Dade County Health Department pursuant to the Emergency Declarations of the Dade County Health Department Board of Trustees and the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services will carry out and enforce these Orders by any legal means. The Dade County Health Department, upon notice of non-compliance with these orders may initiate legal action to seek a court judgment to ensure compliance.