Mayor Brian Treece commended Columbia and Boone County’s stay-at-home order in a livestreamed community briefing held Wednesday afternoon.
The mayor was joined by four local health and public officials. They praised Columbia’s quick response to the pandemic and the community’s social distancing efforts. Mayor Treece said as of April 8, there are only eight active cases in Boone County, with 63 recoveries and 1 death. MU Health Care Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Stevan Whitt also said there are enough ventilators at University Hospital for 150 people.
However, the officials also stressed the importance of continuing to follow safe social practices, such as regularly washing hands and only making necessary trips out of the house. Boone County Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill said the coming weeks will be critical for keeping down the level of infection in the county.
“The numbers begin to show a slowdown of new infections,” Atwill said, “but it’ll be at least two weeks more to actually see the results of that. So this isn’t anywhere near over… If we give it our very best for the next two weeks, we can continue to keep the outlook favorable.”
Mayor Treece also commented on the possibility of reopening Columbia and Boone County. He said it was too early to set a definite date to open up the city and county again and whatever plan was implemented would involve reopening slowly.
“As we begin to imagine what that recovery… looks like,” Mayor Treece said, “we’re all in agreement that it will be phased in, in terms of how we gradually reintroduce people back to normal life.”
Boone County’s stay-at-home order ends on April 24, but Mayor Treece emphasized during the meeting it is subject to change.