City and State take action amid rise in Covid-19 cases

SIGOURNEY – During the the past couple of months, when all six Sigourney Council Members have been present during the bi-weekly Council meetings, their votes on the subject of whether or not to open Sigourney’s City Hall to the public have been evenly split 3-3. This subject has been an agenda topic during Council meetings for many months. When there is a tie vote by Council Members, the Mayor is left to cast the deciding vote. 

After reviewing his decision with the City's legal counsel, on Tuesday afternoon Nov. 10, Sigourney Mayor Doug Glandon issued a City of Sigourney Iowa Emergency Proclamation effective Nov. 11, declaring that all City buildings will be closed to the public. 

The recent surge in positive Covid-19 infections in Keokuk County is of great concern to the Mayor. “I kept seeing the [positive case] numbers climbing and watched as a growing number of businesses in town locked their doors to the public,” explained Mayor Glandon. He went on to say “I feel very strongly that the City needs to do whatever it can to protect both our citizens and our City employees. I think that begins with closing our City buildings to the public.” Mayor Glandon believes that keeping City Hall closed to the public will help ensure all City services continue without interruption. 

The City proclamation asks that all residents, contractors and others do business via phone, email or the City's website. If you need to conduct business in person, you should call the City at 641-622-3080. 

Earlier in the day on Nov. 10, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation extending the State Public Health Emergency Declaration through Nov. 30, and then added enhanced public health measures. Those measures include new restrictions for indoor youth and high school sports that include a mask requirement for all spectators over the age of two and maintaining a six foot distance from other spectators. Additionally, only two spectators will be permitted for each youth athlete. The athletes themselves are not required to wear masks or socially distance. 

“No. Not at all” was Superintendent Dave Harper's response when asked if the Sigourney Public School District has had any discussions about closing the schools and taking the schools back to virtual learning due to the continued spike in positive Covid-19 cases. He stated that the district has a very low absentee rate of about 1% and that “we have a few students that are quarantining at home but it is due to an exposure at home, not at the schools.”

Keokuk County Health Center has also instituted new mitigation measures. Effective Nov. 9, no visitors will be allowed for inpatient or emergency room patients, unless the patient is a minor. In addition, no visitors will be allowed for patients receiving outpatient services.

Face masks are also now required by the State at bowling alleys and the previously mandated guidelines remain in effect. After months of being closed, Lucinda and David Brooks of the Keokuk County Bowl re-opened their establishment on Aug. 20. Initially they did not require bowlers to wear masks, although many bowlers do. David and Lucinda themselves have consistently worn masks at all times when the public is in the building during leagues and open bowling. “Having to wear a mask at the bowling alley is not what any of us wanted to see but it is a small task to do for being able to stay open”, stated Mr. Brooks. Mrs. Brooks was on the verge of requesting all bowlers wear a mask when the Governor announced the mask mandate for bowling alleys. They are understandably concerned about any more possible restrictions or closure mandates by the State. Having come very close to having to permanently close their doors this summer, the Brooks' stated “Our bowlers have made this a year that, without them, we would not have made it.”

As of Nov. 16 according to Iowa Covid-19 Tracker (www.iowacovid19tracker.com) Keokuk county’s cumulative total number of positive cases stands at 433 since the first Keokuk county positive case was recorded on March 28, 2020. The surge within the county began on Oct. 31 with a total of 250 new positive cases reported since Halloween which represents a 136% increase in just over two weeks time. The stated population of Keokuk County is 10,246. That means 4.2% of the population has been infected over the past 7-1/2 months and most have already recovered. Keokuk County has recorded two Covid-19 deaths resulting in a .46% (less than one half percent) mortality rate to infection.