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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;">P.O. BOX 6015 COLUMBIA, MO 65205</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">March 27, 2020</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Steven Sapp
<br />Director of Community Relations
<br />City of Columbia
<br />Steven.Sapp@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">City of Columbia coronavirus (COVID-19) update - new positive cases, Essential Business Determination Form, no new building permits, changes to in-person police response - Friday, March 27 at 5 p.m.</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <br /><strong>Friday, March 27 summary</strong><br />The number of positive cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has increased in Boone County. At the time of publishing, there were 42 total cases. Friday’s Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CoMoHealthDept" target="_blank">Facebook Live</a> video topic included a recap of the Stay at Home Order and an overview of the latest research. See some of the information below. Also below is information about the Essential Business Determination Form, temporary suspension of new building permits and temporary reduction of in-person Columbia Police Department responses.<br /><br /><strong>Cases in Boone County</strong><br />
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<td style="width: 91.6px; height: 34px; text-align: center;">Total positive cases</td>
<td style="width: 56.4px; height: 34px; text-align: center;">Deaths</td>
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<td style="width: 91.6px; height: 29.6px; text-align: center;">42</td>
<td style="width: 56.4px; height: 29.6px; text-align: center;">1</td>
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*Numbers current as of March 27 at 5 p.m.<br /><br />Ages:<br />15-24: 6 cases<br />25-44: 17 cases<br />45-64: 16 cases<br />65+: 3 cases<br /><br />Transmission:<br />Travel-related: 22 cases<br />Contact to a confirmed case: 6 cases<br />Community transmission: 13 cases<br />Unknown: 1 case<br /><br /><strong>Health message</strong><br />The purpose of the Stay at Home Order is to minimize person to person contact in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Boone County. This is the most effective way to ensure residents do not require hospitalization and that our health care delivery system is able to serve everyone. <br /><br />For this to work optimally, the majority of people need to stay home and stay well; regardless of whether or not they are an essential business. Officials are calling on residents and businesses alike to adapt and innovate their way through these changes to protect the health and wellness of the entire community.<br /><br />Residents shoul
d limit interactions with persons who are at higher risk for the coronavirus (COVID-19). Residents who live with someone at high risk are encouraged to practice social distancing. All residents have a personal and social responsibility to protect ourselves, loved ones and the community.<br /><br />Businesses that would like to be reviewed to be considered an essential business should fill out the Essential Business Determination Form: <a href="https://www.como.gov/CMS/WebForms/form.php?formid=373" target="_blank">https://www.como.gov/CMS/WebForms/form.php?formid=373</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Changes to City services</strong><br /><em>Building permits</em><br />City Manager John Glascock has determined that it is in the best interest to the health of the community and to comply with the intent of the Special Order, to suspend the issuance of new building permits, both commercial and residential including new additions to existing buildings. <br /><br />Permits for alterati
ons to existing buildings needed to maintain or improve the health and safety of existing buildings will still be issued.<br /><br />During the time Special Order 2020-03 is in effect, only commercial and residential building projects which were started and approved prior to March 25 may continue. Those projects should continue to follow required inspection guidelines and inspectors, following social distancing protocol, will continue to inspect existing projects. <br /><br />The City of Columbia Community Development Department will continue to accept and review both new commercial and residential permit submissions, however, they will not be issuing an invoice, accepting payment for a permit, or issuing a new permit for these types of permits until the order is rescinded, extended or expires on April 24. <br /><br />Commercial and residential permit applications may be submitted via the processes outlined on <a href="http://www.CoMo.gov" target="_blank">CoM
o.gov</a>. <br /><br />If you have questions regarding the process, please call the City of Columbia Building and Site Development office at 573.874.7474.<br /><br /><em>Columbia Police Department</em><br />Due to the increased risk for potential exposure to the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Columbia Police Department (CPD) has reduced the amount of in-person calls officers are responding to. Activities that may be temporarily suspended during this period will primarily affect the areas of traffic functions, in-person contact reports and accessibility to the police station. <br /><br />The police station has temporarily stopped taking reports in the lobby and will advise patrons to make a report online by visiting P2C.CoMo.gov or via phone by dialing 311 for non-emergencies or 911 for emergencies. In addition, access to the CPD lobby is limited to emergencies.<br /><br />For the safety of officers, all calls for service are vetted through a CPD supervisor who will ad
vise officers whether or not to respond in-person. Calls for service can be broken down into two screening categories: life threatening and non-life-threatening.<br /><br />Examples of calls for life-threatening incidents include domestic violence; missing persons; active assaults (robbery, stabbing, fights); reports of sexual assault; child abuse and neglect.<br /><br />Examples of calls for non-life-threatening incidents include peace disturbances; theft of motor vehicles; car accidents without injuries; vandalism/found property; traffic complaints.<br /><br />When officers respond to calls they are required to take the following precautions:<br />
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<li>Wear respiratory protection masks.</li>
<li>Use latex or nitrile gloves.</li>
<li>Use protective eyewear.</li>
<li>Place a mask on the arrested person as soon as possible.</li>
<li>Determine if the suspect needs immediate hospitalization due to respiratory distress or other symptoms.</li>
<li>Use a single transport vehicle for all transports to minimize decontamination needs for the patrol fleet.</li>
<li>Disinfect all surfaces an arrested person may have touched or otherwise infected through coughing, sneezing, spitting, etc.</li>
<li>Maintain communications with jail personnel regarding symptoms that may develop after an arrested person is released to their custody.</li>
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<br />Programs that have temporarily ceased operation include the ride-along program; school visits; resident tours of CPD facilities.<br /><br />CPD is emphasizing the practice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health precautions in the office and in the field to keep officers, their families and the public as safe as possible. Officers are being directed to practice social distancing, wash their hands frequently and sanitize their workspace and patrol vehicles before and after use.<br /><br /><br />Official information from the City of Columbia and Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) can be found at <a href="https://www.como.gov/coronavirus/" target="_blank">CoMo.gov/Coronavirus</a>. The City will also be utilizing City and PHHS official social media accounts to post updates. They can be found at @CoMoGov on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CoMoGov/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CoMoGov" target="_bl
ank">Twitter</a> and @CoMoHealthDept on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CoMoHealthDept" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and @CoMo_HealthDept on <a href="https://twitter.com/CoMo_HealthDept" target="_blank">Twitte</a>r.</div>
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