Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken is issuing what he calls a “Safer at Home” proclamation to curb the spread of the coronavirus. More than half of the state’s total COVID-19 cases are in and around the city.
The proclamation includes guidelines for businesses and families. It encourages residents to stay at home and limit grocery store visits to one trip a week from one household member. In line with the most recent CDC guidelines, the proclamation also encourages anyone over two years old without breathing difficulties to wear cloth masks in public.
The proclamation recommends that businesses not already under restrictions, allow occupancy that’s 20 percent of their fire-code limits.
Mayor TenHaken says the proclamation offers clearer guidelines but is not legally enforceable.
“These are what I would call executive mayoral recommendations from our office that we’re asking the public to take," he says. "We’ve done well with the soft recommendations. we’re taking it a step further with what we call an executive proclamation.”
In its meeting Tuesday, the Sioux Falls City Council is expected to extend an existing ordinance that limits certain businesses to ten or fewer patrons inside at a time. If it passes, the extension runs through April 22nd.