01-11 Resolution No. 11932
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION URGING RICHFIELD TO FOLLOW COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH
GUIDANCE
BEIT RESOLVED, by the City Council of City of Richfield , Minnesota
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Richfield is the official governing
body of the City;and
WHEREAS, the City Council is committed to ensuring the health and safety
of all residents; and
WHEREAS, many individuals with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, yet risk
transfer of coronavirus to others; and,
WHEREAS,since June 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention CDC) identified new variants of the COVID-19 virus which are present
in the United States and medical experts determined that some of these variants
are significantly more contagious than previously known variants; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 Omicron variant, which has been identified in
Richfield, has been determined by the CDC to be a "variant of concern" and
appears to be easily transmitted and substantially increasing the potential risk of
infection; and
WHEREAS, health statistics in Richfield show current infections with
COVID-19 are the highest they have been during this pandemic, with cases
exceeding 1,000 cases per 100,000 persons over the last seven days and rising
quickly; and
WHEREAS, the CDCand the Minnesota Departmentof Health
and boosted against COVID-19 when eligible as the vaccines are our best tool to
reduce the risk of severe disease; and
WHEREAS, the CDC recommends, regardless of vaccination status, that
everyone over the age of two should wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas
of substantial or high community transmission (more than 100 cases per 100,000
persons); and
WHEREAS,public health professionals recognize that COVID-19virus is
highly transmissible through the airand thathigh quality tight-fitting masks should
be worn (such as an N95, KN95, KF94 or similar respirator) in public indoor
settings. If those types of masks are not available, cloth masks with two or more
layers of tightly woven fabric or double masking is encouraged; and
WHEREAS, public health professionals recommend multiple layers of
mitigation to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the community, knowing that the more
actions we take, the better protected we will be.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF RICHFIELD, MINNESOTA, based on the foregoing recitals and in
furtherance of the intent of this Resolution, that the City Council strongly urges
the City, its residents, and its businesses to:
1.Diligently follow COVID-19 Safety Guidance including:
a.Get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19;
b.Wear a N95, KN95, KF94,respirator, or other high-quality,
tight-fitting mask in public;
c.Get tested if you have had close contact with someone with
COVID-19, or have any symptoms;
d.Stay home when you are sick or have any symptoms; and
e.Comply with Minnesota Department of Health isolation and
quarantine guidance.
2.Encourage entities open to the public to require mask wearing of
their patrons and staff and provide masks to those in need at no or
low cost; and
3.Be cautious with activities to avoid illness and injury in the coming
weeks, as healthcare access delays are being reported and these
delays are expected to continue for the foreseeable future; and
4.Wear a face covering before boarding public transportation and wear
the face covering until the user exits the vehicle; and
5.Ensure HVAC systems are providing the maximum ventilation and
filtration possible in compliance with American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards;
and
6.Wear a face covering when in common spaces such as hallways,
corridors, lobbies, restrooms, mail rooms, elevators, trash and
recycling rooms, fitness rooms, recreation rooms, laundry rooms
and other space owned and used in common by the residents,
employees and tenants of multi-family residential buildings and
multi-tenant office buildings; and
7.Consider how they can limit activities to prevent exposure to COVID-
19; and
8.Spend time outdoors enjoying our beautiful city.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Richfield Public Health staff is hereby
authorized and directed to provide the City Council and staff with periodic reports
on COVID-19 conditions in the City.
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BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the City, its residents, and its businesses
will get through this together and will be a stronger and more resilient City after
this global health pandemic.
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Richfield, Minnesota this 11th
day of January, 2022.
Maria Regan Gonzalez, Mayor
ATTEST
Kari Sinning, City Clerk
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