The city of Springfield and Greene County are announcing Phase 3 of the Road to Recovery order for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

City and @sgchd officials announced a new City order today lessening restrictions of business and community activities. The order is effective June 15-July 15, however, it will be reviewed prior to July 5. Full release at https://t.co/dAaG50SfdE. pic.twitter.com/UI9IXf1wgT

— City of Springfield (@CityofSgf) June 12, 2020

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Mayor Ken McClure, City Manager Jason Gage and Springfield-Greene County Health Department Director Clay Goddard announced a new City order today lessening restrictions of business and community activities. The order is effective June 15-July 15, however, it will be reviewed prior to July 5, when it could change, if the City is ready to move into phase 4.

The City’s Road to Recovery Plan document maps out the next few phases, based on data gathered throughout the phase.

View Mayor McClure’s Phase 3 Road to Recovery order.

You can read the Greene County order here.

The plan maps out the area’s next phases in reopening the local economy. The individual components and phases of the plan are subject to change based on local and national COVID-19 data as well as by measures tracked on the Springfield-Greene County Health Department’s COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard.

The Phase 3 order increases the percentage of occupancy restriction in most categories to 50%, which is a formula created to maximize physical distancing.

According to the order, all businesses shall carry out to the greatest degree possible Centers for Disease Control & Prevention-recommended social distancing and cleaning guidelines in all situations, including, but not limited to, when customers are standing in line or when individuals, including employees, are using shared indoor or outdoor spaces, except as otherwise provided. If a business cannot comply with CDC recommended social distancing, then the business shall carry out to the greatest degree possible social distancing of at least 3 feet and require persons in areas open to the public to wear a mask or other facial cover at all times.

The formula is: (Square footage) / 30 x 50% = Occupancy limit.

For example, religious services, conferences, exhibitions, attractions and other enhanced-risk activities will be able to accommodate additional people, given certain safety parameters are followed. Occupancy allowances are determined by measuring the space where the activity is to occur, divide it by 30 and multiply that by 50%.

Entertainment venues that are ready to welcome back patrons, may do so by using the 50% occupancy formula and employing the CDC guidelines for physical distancing and hygiene.

“Not all businesses or religious congregations are ready for this step,” said Mayor Ken McClure. “We understand that and continue to encourage individual and organizational responsibility when making plans to open or open further. Every person and every organization is different, and the risks are different, too.”

Swimming pools are limited to 50% of the bather load of the pool. Playgrounds, parks and trails are open.

Noncontact and contact sports practices and games are allowed with a 50% occupancy limitation based on the square footage of fixed seating in the spectator area.

Essential retail establishments, businesses considered nonessential, restaurants and bars, entertainment venues and museums, gyms and fitness centers, religious services, weddings and funerals can operate with 50% occupancy based on square footage of indoor and outdoor seating areas, or with 35 people, whichever is greater. This number does not include employees.

Personal care services can operate with a 50% occupancy limitation based on square footage. The occupancy limitation includes employees, and masks are required on the part of the patron and the service provider if the distance between them during the service is less than 3 feet.

Gyms and fitness centers can operate with a 50% occupancy limitation based on square footage. Fitness classes are allowed with 50% of the occupancy limitation based on the square footage of the room being used.

Day cares can operate with no limitations. Day camps can operate if the primary role is child care with limitations of stable groups of 25. Private schools can reopen.

In-person religious services, weddings and funerals can operate with 50% of the occupancy limitation based on the square footage of the facility.

The City is again permitting special events on public property with a 25% occupancy limitation based on the square footage of the area designated as the event site. Event organizers are asked to provide a mitigation plan that includes answering a few questions about how they plan to socially distance participants and organizers.

All residents should encourage senior citizens and vulnerable populations should stay at home. Working from home, if possible, is also encouraged. Physical distancing, increased cleaning and hand hygiene are also encouraged. Wearing masks is encouraged during travel and monitoring upon return from non high-risk travel. Quarantine is encouraged upon return from high-risk travel.

The City will be under the Phase 3 Order until July 15, but that may be shortened if the Mayor decides to amend or replace that order to move to Phase 4. The goal of the phased recovery plan is to reopen the community as quickly and safely as possible, while monitoring the spread of disease and taking action to keep the spread of disease to an acceptable level.

The Road to Recovery Plan is a “living” document that serves as a framework for Mayor Ken McClure’s future reopening orders. The plan allows community members and organizations to have a firmer understanding of what recovery looks like, when the spread of the disease is controlled and healthcare, public health and testing capabilities are strong.

Within this framework, community leaders will make decisions approximately every three weeks on whether the community is ready and prepared to take the step into the next phase or if it is prudent to remain in the current phase. Phases are fluid and based on dashboard indicators and state orders. To a large extent, the virus will dictate the timeline of recovery.

This dashboard covers five areas, including:

• detailed case information, including total and daily cases based on a person’s onset of symptoms and active, deceased and resolved cases.
• hospital capability, which is based on hospital staffing, supplies and space available to respond to COVID-19.
• public health capability, which is based on the capability to conduct epidemiological interviews and contact tracing, and risk pertaining to unmitigated community exposure for COVID-19.
• testing capability, which measures the estimated community testing capability for COVID-19. The index is based on the available testing and result turnaround time.
• regional data information, which measures the estimated public health capability and testing capability for surrounding counties.