Aug 26, 2020

City carefully working to avoid large employee quarantines

Posted Aug 26, 2020 1:00 PM
Cody Schmidt
Cody Schmidt

By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post

Great Bend Mayor Cody Schmidt is like many other citizens watching to see if the COVID-19 cases go down. Unfortunately, for Schmidt and the rest of the community, positive cases and quarantines continue to rise.

On his Tuesday (Aug. 25) chat on 100.7 Eagle Country, Schmidt acknowledged that the isolation order is a touchy subject but also felt some residents are becoming more relaxed in their precautions against the virus.

"I think we need to stress to people to stay out of those big groups," said Schmidt. "We all want to do fun things and I think that is what is costing us right now. Big groups and big venues are still not safe and I think it has proven that."

In July, the Great Bend Public Works department had a wave of quarantines hit their staff as approximately 10 employees were forced to isolate as a result of contact with a positive COVID-19 case. Schmidt says there are a few City Hall employees that occasionally work remotely, but most city employees are in place using extra caution.

"I think they are all meeting in different areas," said Schmidt. "When we had our hiccup last month, they were all in the same meeting room. We learned from that lesson and now they meet in smaller groups."

Listen every Tuesday at 8:05 a.m. on 100.7 Eagle Country for Eagle Radio’s Scott Donovan’s chat with Mayor Cody Schmidt.