Lenawee County, MI – The Lenawee County Board of Commissioners, in collaboration with the Health Department, have issued an emergency order closing public and semi-public playground equipment and other areas used for group sports.
This new order “imposes substantially identical restrictions” from a previous emergency order, but extends the existing order to May 28th, 2020. Lenawee County Health Officer Martha Hall has determined that controls are necessary to reduce transmission of COVID-19 to protect the public’s health based on these factors:
- A communicable disease, novel Coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, has been identified within Lenawee County and can be transmitted from person to person.
- In order to control and limit the spread of the Coronavirus, it is necessary to prevent and limit infected people from encountering uninfected people.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages “social distancing” measures. Social distancing is a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people to slow community transmission of the virus.
Health Officer Hall, through the emergency order, has ordered:
- Closure of all public and semi-public, indoor and outdoor playground equipment, exercise equipment, basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball courts, soccer fields, softball and baseball fields, gazebos, pavilions, and other similar areas used for group sports that encourage close contact with others. Semi-public is defined as associated with apartment houses, condominiums, manufactured housing communities, youth clubs, community centers or similar establishments.
- Exempt from this order are locations within childcare centers and park areas without playground equipment like walking trails and grassy areas. These spaces allow for walking, running, hiking, cycling and playing within social distancing guidelines so individuals not of the same household remain 6 feet from each other.
- The Order shall become effective May 14th, 2020 at 11:59pm and shall be effective until May 28th, 2020 at 11:59pm. Those who disregard the order could be subject to a misdemeanor that includes up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine up to $200.
*** The full emergency order can be viewed on the Lenawee County website HERE***
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*Information in this article courtesy of Lenawee County*