On July 27, 2020, St. Louis County Executive, Dr. Sam Page, announced that due to the increased number of COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions he would be implementing four new guidelines and three initiatives.
Beginning Friday, July 31, 2020, at 5:00 p.m., the following restrictions will be enforced:
- All gatherings in St. Louis County will be limited to 50 persons. Dr. Page stated that the coordinator for any pre-approved events will be contacted to discuss their events.
- The maximum occupancy limit for all buildings will be decreased from 50% to 25%.
- All bars must be closed by 10:00 p.m.
- All persons waiting for COVID-19 test results will be expected to quarantine while they are waiting for their test results.
The County also will implement the following three initiatives:
- A graduated process for working with businesses that disregard the County’s guidelines. This process will be focused on education and assistance, so that businesses understand how they are violating the order and how to become compliant.
- The “Rapid Reporting Order,” where the County will require all healthcare providers to report their testing results to the St. Louis County Health Department as soon as possible. Rapid reporting will address the current lag in reporting and allow the County to know about outbreaks as soon as possible.
- The Director of Human Services will also provide teachers in St. Louis County a safe place to quarantine. Dr. Page stated that he hopes that in-person schooling may safely resume by the end of the fall, but in order to make that happen teachers need to know that returning to school will not sacrifice their health or the health of their families.
Dr. Page stated that the County intends to announce more information on these three initiatives later this week.
Dr. Page stated that even though it will take two to three weeks to see the effects of the aforementioned measures, he is confident they are enough to flatten the curve and control the cases in St. Louis County.
Employers covered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) are reminded that eligible employees who are quarantined while waiting for COVID-19 test results most likely would be entitled to paid sick leave during such time, provided they have not exhausted such leave previously.
The St. Louis employment attorneys at McMahon Berger have been representing employers across the country in labor and employment matters for over sixty years and are available to discuss these issues and others. As always, the foregoing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice regarding any particular situation as every situation must be evaluated on its own facts. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements.
