March 21, 2020 10:00pm - Leavenworth County Health Department - EMERGENCY PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER
Media Contact
Todd Farley, Joint Information Center
jic@leavenworthcounty.gov
Emergency Public Health Order Requiring Residents to Stay at Home Except for Essential Needs
Click here for PDF of Emergency Order of Local Health Officer
The local Health Officer announced today the release of an Emergency Health Order that will go into effect March 24 as of 12:00AM, and remains in effect until midnight April 23, 2020. Protective measures stated in this order are in correlation with our partnering counties of Jackson County, Missouri, Kansas City, Kansas, Johnson County, Kansas, and Wyandotte County, Kansas (Core4 Partners).
The Order directs all residents to remain at their place of residence, except to conduct Essential Activity (defined below). Individuals may leave their residence only to perform an Essential Activity. People at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 are urged to stay in their residence except as necessary to seek medical care. Individuals who are sick may leave their residence only as necessary to seek or receive medical care in accordance with guidance from public health officials. Everyone shall practice social distancing while performing essential activities by remaining at least 6 feet of distance from everyone other than household members.
All businesses and operations in Leavenworth County, except Essential Businesses as defined below, are required to cease all activities. For clarity, businesses may also continue operations consisting exclusively of employees or contractors performing activities at their own residences (i.e., working from home).
Essential Activity
People at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and people who are sick are urged to stay in their residence except as necessary to seek medical care.
Essential activities are activities or tasks essential to an individual’s health or safety or the health and safety of their family or household members. These activities include:
- Obtaining medicine or seeing a doctor or other health care provider
- Getting necessary services or supplies for themselves or their family or household members, such as food, pet food, and supplies necessary for staying at home
- Obtaining supplies necessary for maintaining a household
- Obtaining supplies necessary for working from home
- Engaging in outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking, or running
- Performing work providing essential services at an Essential Business
- Caring for a family member in another household
- Caring for the elderly, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons
Essential businesses are organizations that provide the goods or services needed for an essential activity. These include:
- Hospitals
- Childcare facilities
- Government operations
- Pharmacies, health care supply stores, and health care facilities
- Grocery stores
- Gas stations and auto repair facilities
- Garbage collection
- Hardware stores, plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences and other essential businesses
- Educational institutions, for the purposes of facilitating distance learning;
- Laundromats, dry cleaners, and laundry service providers
- Businesses that ship or deliver groceries, food, and goods directly to residences;
“It is critical we slow the spread of Coronavirus (Covid19). The order being issued is being utilized to intensify social distancing and protect the community along with our neighboring partners.” said Jamie Miller, Leavenworth County Health Officer.
Stay up-to-date by following the Health Department Facebook account or Leavenworth County webpage www.leavenworthcounty.gov/covid. For more information on visit www.cdc.gov/COVID19
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