Mayor O’Connor says there’s no vaccine for the COVID-19 virus.
Frederick, Md (KM) Just like the county, Mayor Michael O’Connor says the City of Frederick is taking a “go-slow” approach when it come to reopening its economy. During a recent appearance on WFMD’s “Morning News Express,” the Mayor said there’s still the possibility of too many COVID-19 patients coming into the local hospital or nursing homes. “The concern with some testing going on in some of the nursing homes was that it wouldn’t take much of a surge in tests among either the patients to create a situation where the hospital potentially couldn’t handle those residents that are coming in, or the number of staff,” he said.
in addition, O’Connor said there is no vaccine of treatment for the coronavirus. “Those two pieces are naturally going to lead us to caution until we reach a point where we really do understand the pathology of the virus in a way that we’re not asking people to unnecessarily take their chances,” he says.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the executive orders from the Governor have closed a number of businesses as a way to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Among them are restaurants and bars. Mayor O’Connor says the city is looking at ways that ways these eateries, especially those with outdoor balconies, patios and sidewalk cafes, could reopen and serve meals outside. Both patrons and employees would need to take precautions against the coronavirsu, such as wearing face masks, social distancing and washing hands frequently.
But he says a number of issues need to be resolved before that can happen. “So what can we do to sidewalks and streetscapes to create that proper distancing and create a few more tables,” the Mayor says.
Comptroller Peter Franchot says he will propose the idea of allowing restaurants during this time of emergency to serve meals outside.
“For the businesses to be able to open up successfully, the customers are going to want to have to come back. That’s the partnership that we have to work out in terms of making sure that folks who come downtown know they’re coming into a downtown where we thought of their safety; we thought about the things that are being done to make sure that people stay safe; and that the businesses have their lifeline which is the customers,” Mayor O’Connor says.
By Kevin McManus