By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
COVID-19 has severely confined most lives this spring. As the nation prepares to “open” up soon, what will the pandemic mean for pleasant summer pastimes?
Will community pools be open? Will ballparks be busy? Will families take their annual vacations?
These and other questions were addressed Tuesday during the weekly conference call with the Wood County Commissioners, Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Batey and Wood County Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Klein.
Pemberville Mayor Carol Bailey said now is the time of year when the town starts preparing the village pool for the summer. And the softball league wants to start practicing in a couple weeks so teams are ready for the season.
But should the village approach this summer differently, Bailey asked.
“We want people to get outside. We want people to exercise,” Batey responded. But this summer is definitely different.
Batey said it may be possible for community pools to open – as long as patrons maintain social distancing and staffs frequently clean surfaces.
The “tricky part” will be keeping kids from playing together, he said.
Softball leagues may play games, but limit close contact in dugouts and the number of spectators on the bleachers.
“It’s going to be a challenge for all of us,” Batey said. “People probably won’t feel safe going to those things for a while.”
Batey said he expects Gov. Mike DeWine to address these types of outdoor activities soon.
“At some point, they have to open some things up,” he said. Then it will be up to people to weigh the risk versus the reward to decide if they want to participate.
“My biggest concern is keeping kids apart, and cleaning everything they touch,” Bailey said.
“That’s going to be the challenge for a lot of businesses,” Batey said. “This is going to be the struggle for all of us.”
And that struggle may remain long past the summer.
“This may be a virus that stays with us long term,” Batey said.
Bailey talked about the annual Pemberville Free Fair that is held every August. And Grand Rapids Mayor John Berry questioned the fate of the Applebutter Festival held every October, saying he was “skeptical” if it will be held this year.
“Those activities are going to be a huge challenge for us going forward,” Batey said.
Without more widespread testing, it is impossible to know the best course of action, he said.
“That will really help us make those kind of decisions,” Batey said. “Until we have that information it’s tough to make those calls.”
Batey suggested that communities “err on the side of caution.”
Tontogany Village Council member Matt Shanahan asked for advice on cleaning the park playground equipment before it is opened again for kids to use. Batey said that the virus can’t survive sitting outside in the elements, but added, “it doesn’t hurt to wash with soap and water” or use Clorox wipes where kids are likely to grab onto the equipment.
Klein said his office is getting questions from local residents wondering about taking traditional summer vacations. His advice: “Make sure it’s refundable.”
He predicted large public gatherings will be canceled for some time. “This is going to be quite a while,” especially if there is a resurgence in the virus in the fall, Klein said.
Batey talked about the gradual reopening of Ohio planned in May so the healthcare system isn’t overwhelmed by cases.
“As we open things back up, there’s an expectation” that more people will come down with the virus, he said. “That’s a fine line we’re going to be walking.”
Businesses are going to be asked to take steps to protect their employees and customers.
“That’s going to continue for a long time,” Batey said.
“We don’t want to go down the road of having to close everything down” again, he said.
Berry mentioned that he has heard of employees being fearful of returning to work.
“That’s the challenge for every business,” Batey said – how to operate, yet make people feel safe. “That’s where we all need to start to look at the world differently.”
Businesses will need to look at how to put “protective bubbles” around employees.
State Sen. Theresa Gavarone agreed, asking that businesses work with the health department. “We don’t want a second wave,” of COVID-19 cases, she said.
Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn reported that all his road, jail and office employees are now wearing masks when they are within 6 feet of someone else. “Everything has changed in the office,” he said.
The county jail population is down to 87. “I appreciate everyone working together to allow the population to go down,” the sheriff said.
Also during the telemeeting, Klein reported that the EMA office is “holding steady.” The office continues to get requests for personal protective equipment from home health professions.
