Commissioners sign order imposing restrictions on businesses

Order forces closure of some establishments
 
In a special meeting convened by the Weston County Commission on Thursday morning, Weston County Health Officer Dr. Michael Jording presented the commissioners with a proposed public health order closing all non-essential businesses in the county due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the commissioners approved the order, it was signed and put into effect.
Rationale for the order included in the document itself indicates that both President Donald Trump and Governor Mark Gordon have declared a state of emergency for the country and the state respectively. Those declarations have included recommendations that schools close and no gatherings over 10 people take place during the novel coronavirus disease outbreak, and the order approved by the commissioners follows the same pattern.
“Whereas, it has been determined that a method to control the community spread of the coronavirus is to close certain public places,” the order states, “this order may reduce the likelihood that individuals may have been exposed to COVID-19 will spread the virus to others, and therefore is entered to protect the health of the public.” 
The document also notes that by reducing the spread of the virus, the order will “preserve critical and limited healthcare capacity in Weston County.” 
Listed within the order to be closed are theaters, bars, nightclubs, saloons, taverns, tasting rooms, coffee shops, employee cafeterias, self-serve buffets, salad bars, unpackaged self-serve food services, golf clubs and country clubs, communal pools, hot tubs, locker rooms, saunas, steam rooms, fitness centers, gyms, conference rooms, spas and museums. 
“It is further ordered, that restaurants may remain open if the restaurant notifies the Director of Public Health Lori Bickford, that they intend to remain open and follow these procedures: prohibit all dine-in food service and allow curbside take-out or drive-thru food service.
“Employees must take food to the curb and exchange through the vehicle window. For hotel restaurants, food items may only be delivered as room service or curbside service as described above,” the order says.
It also contains a provision indicating that “management shall ensure, on a daily basis, that no employee who presents symptoms of illness will be permitted to work,” and indicates that anybody who violates the order “shall be subject to criminal prosecution.” 
It also notes that the Weston County Health Officer may grant exceptions on a case by case basis, and that the order will remain in effect for 14 days or until the Weston County Health Officer enters an order revoking or modifying the order. 
After the order was presented by Jording, Commissioner Tony Barton made a motion to approve the order being signed by the commission chairman. The motion carried by a 4-1 vote, with Chairman Ed Wagoner joining Barton and commissioners Nathan Todd and Marty Ertman in voting ‘Aye.’ The dissenting vote was cast by Commissioner Tracy Hunt.
After approval by the commissioners, the document was signed by Jording, Chairman Wagoner and Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock before being sent to the state to be signed by Wyoming State Health Officer Alexia Harrist.
 
(Ed. note: The order itself, which can be viewed at http://www.newslj.com/content/weston-county-public-health-order-20-1 can not go into effect until all of the signatures have been made, but it also doesn’t specify a time or date from which the order will be enforced. The News Letter Journal will update this story when we are notified by the Weston County Clerk that the notice has gone into effect.)