Saline County Commissioners have proclaimed a “State of Emergency” in the county.
According to a news release, WHEREAS, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have declared COVID-19 a pandemic; and the U.S. Department of Health and Senior Services (HHS) Secretary has declared that COVID-19 a public-health emergency; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 was detected in 2019 and has resulted in a global pandemic; and COVID-19 spreads between people who are in close contact through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes; and
WHEREAS, Saline County has been working in collaboration with the CDC, HHS and local health and public-safety agencies to monitor and plan for the containment and subsequent mitigation of COVID-19 through the information of a Saline County COVID-19 Leadership Group; and
WHEREAS, This threat of imminent disaster and emergency has the potential to cause significant adverse impacts upon the population of the county; and
WHEREAS, This threat of imminent disaster and emergency has already caused local impacts, and will likely prompt additional local measures- including affected municipal governments to declare local disaster emergencies because of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 can easily be transmitted from person to person, and result in high mortality rates, therefore requiring special action for special public-health preparedness; and
WHEREAS, As of April 2, 2020, two residents of Saline County have tested positive for COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, this threat of imminent disaster and emergency situation throughout the county is of such magnitude and severity as to render essential the county’s supplementation of emergency resources and mutual-aid to the county and municipal governments of this county; and to require the activation of all applicable state, county and municipal emergency-response plans.
NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to the provisions under the revised statutes of Missouri, Chapter 44.080 Civil Defense Statutes, we do hereby proclaim the existence of a disaster emergency throughout the county.
The proclamation was passed on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.