How El Dorado Springs sees COVID-19

JANEAN EHLERS – Cedar County Health Department – There are no confirmed cases in Cedar County.  COVID – 19 is totally different than anything we’ve seen before. It is estimated that 40% – 70 % of the population will get it.  It is 10x more deadly that the Spanish flu of 1918. Emergency rooms and private practice physicians will have test kits. I takes three to four days to get the results back. If you need to see a doctor, don’t just walk in. Call ahead.  And remember to be kind. Everybody’s life is being disrupted.

BRUCE ROGERS – El Dorado Springs City Manager – Keep normal precautions to minimize the effects. We’re taking precautions where people normally come together. The Community Center is closed until further notice and the city will do business at the drive -up window also until further notice. We have mutual aid agreements throughout the city’s department. So, if one department, say the electric department is hit with illness, other city employees are capable of stepping up to the job done.

PAULA GIBBS – Manager El Dorado Springs Woods Supermarket – People feel the need to stock-up on certain things. Toilet paper is a big one. If we are out of toilet paper, they buy paper towels, after that napkins. Now people are buying up flour, sugar and milk. We limited toilet paper to two packages per person, but you can’t really enforce that. We know who our customers are and they buy two packages one day and come back the next and buy two more.

  We have regular grocery delivery trucks  on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

KEVIN McCULLOGH – Owner and Pharmacist Evans Drugs – We are open for business and want our patients to know that we want to minimize the chance of exposure especially for those that have a cough, fever and shortness of breath. We want to encourage people to use the drive through as much as possible, or let us come out to the car rather coming in. Our concern is the high-risk patient. We are in a preventative mood right now, but we want our patients to know that medicine and  consultation are available. Some insurance companies are allowing early re-fills.

JACKSON TOUGH – Executive Director El Dorado Springs Chamber of Commerce – The virus is going to affect how some of our members do business. It already has. In planning and preparedness for the COVID-19 the El Dorado Springs Chamber of Commerce is compiling and updating a “Coronavirus; Local Update – Changing the Ways We Do Business” list of any business or organization that is amending the way they do business or postponing an event. They should let us know so we can help inform the public via social media. This is for chamber members and non-members as well.