At an emergency County meeting on Tuesday afternoon, the County Commissioners made the decision to limit the entrances to the County Courthouse and Collins buildings and said they will be checking the health of those wishing to enter the buildings.
Starting at 8 AM on Wednesday, March 18th, the Courthouse and Collins Buildings will only be accessible from the north side, and any employees and members of the public that enter the building will have their temperature checked and questions asked about their health.
Newt Stephens said that if they had a temperature above the normal 98.6 degrees, they would be turned away. They could send someone to conduct their business for them, but would not be able to enter the premises themselves. Stephens said staff would also be watching for a cough or other signs of ill health. Stephens did not specify what questions would be asked. The Commissioners also did not say when the new rules would expire.
“Changing by the minute”
Suzanne Shirey, director of Sapulpa Chamber, said in the same meeting that she was on calls with both the U.S. Department of Commerce and the state’s Small Business Administration office earlier that day and said the data about the Coronavirus was “changing by the minute.”
“One day we’re making these decisions, and getting everything ready, and the next day, it’s all changed,” she said.
The economic impact is bound to be big, but how big? And how will it affect us locally?
Some businesses are already reacting to the Coronavirus by having employees work from home, or switching to take-out and delivery only if they’re a restaurant. Still others have decided that the best way to handle the situation is by reducing their open hours altogether. Little Bit of County (124 E. Dewey) will remain open until 5:30 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays but will be closing at 3:30 PM on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. “At least through the end of the month,” says owner Diane Gloden.
CTX Coffee Labs (114 E. Dewey) has decided that they’re going to close at 3:00 PM every day, and are encouraging patrons to do more to-go curbside orders.
Other businesses are doing more of a “wait and see” approach. They want to get through this week and see what happens and will make a decision later. See a list of what’s open and what’s not on our regularly-updating story here.
