We know there’s plenty of concern regarding the COVID-19 Virus (coronavirus) and its impact around the world. We know larger communities have cancelled events and asked people to stay home. We also know that we are not immune to this or any virus because we are in a less-populated area – however, with due diligence and careful following of CDC recommendations we can presently continue with some weekend events as planned.
Adjustments have been made to the St. Paddy’s weekend schedule. On Saturday, March 14, the organized pub crawl will now be an event where visitors will go at their own pace throughout the day rather than be assigned to specific groups. A list of locations will be available at the Franklin Hotel on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m., and a DJ’d St. Paddy’s Party will take place at the Franklin Hotel beginning at 7 p.m. There will not be a poker run. The annual parade will remain on Saturday, March 14 at noon and the Leprechaun Olympics on Friday, March 13 will remain as scheduled.
Deadwood is a hands-on community in the fact that we’re a gaming town. We are well versed in personal and business sanitizing procedures, yet we all need to follow the necessary precautions to make sure we do all we can to stop not only COVID-19 but also other viruses such as the flu. At present time, the CDC does not recommend canceling or postponing travel to destinations with level 1 travel notices because the risk of COVID-19 is thought to be low. More information on the CDC and COVID-19 can be found at www.cdc.gov. One of the biggest guidelines we can follow is that IF YOU FEEL ILL, STAY HOME. This is not to be underestimated.
The CDC also recommends the following:
Stop handshaking – use other noncontact methods of greeting
Clean hands at the door, and schedule regular hand washing reminders by email or text. If soap and water is not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol
Promote tap and pay to limit handling of cash
Disinfect surfaces like doorknobs, tables, desks, light switches, handrails and other highly used surfaces regularly
Increase ventilation by opening windows or adjusting air conditioning
Limit food sharing
Strengthen health screening for cafeteria/kitchen staff and their close contacts
Ensure cafeteria/kitchen staff and their close contacts practice strict hygiene
Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash; or use the inside of your elbow to cough or sneeze into
AND AGAIN: Employees and visitors need to stay home if they are feeling sick or if they have a sick family member in their home
We take COVID-19 seriously, and we are committed to the safety of our community and the mitigation of the disease. There’s a need to be cautious, not in a panic, and allow business to carry on by being responsible. For this weekend’s St. Paddy’s events, there could likely be a drop in participation due to the virus scare, and we understand that. We are asking businesses to be extra vigilant in their cleaning procedures while practicing heightened hygiene and ServSafe procedures.
It is an open container event and we have no plans to change that; however, we are asking businesses to not directly refill reusable glassware. Businesses should pour their product into an unused, clean glass and provide this glass for the customer to pour into his or her open container glass; and then immediately dispose of the glass if its disposable or place the glass in the dishwashing queue. For businesses that are setting up outside tap stations, they should use plastic, disposable glasses to pour beer and wine, provide to the customer, and allow the customer to pour the beverage into his or her glass and then dispose of the ‘transfer’ glass. The Deadwood Chamber of Commerce will provide some plastic glasses for businesses. Employees, if desired, should be provided proper hand protective wear, and there should be ample hand cleaning stations on hand. Hand sanitizer should be readily available for employees and visitors.
We thank you for your diligence in the matter and appreciate your commitment to Deadwood. If conditions worsen and we need to make adjustments to any event scheduling, we will relay messages as quickly and diligently as possible.
Sincerely,
Mayor David Ruth, Jr.