West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis announced Friday for the safety of the citizens and employees, the City of West Lafayette is strongly encouraging everyone to follow the recommended practices outlined by the Tippecanoe County Health Department below. These actions may seem extreme but if we take steps now that are preventive we protect the most vulnerable among our citizenry while still providing services to the community.
Beginning today, March 13, 2020, we ask that all payments to the city be made online, via postal mail or left in the secure payment drop box at the city parking lot, located at 2329 N Salisbury Street. For your benefit and the benefit of our staff, we will not take in person payments until further notice.
We are in unique times and ask that all citizens be flexible. This is a fluid situation and we will keep you informed as we learn new information. Thank you for your understanding. I am proud of our community and know you will all do what’s best for the greater good.
Because of the daily changes that continue to appear from COVID-19, the Tippecanoe County Health Department (TCHD) continues to follow guidance put forth by the Indiana State Department Health (ISDH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As this virus continues to spread through our country and the state of Indiana we are seeing the trend to move from preparedness to community mitigation. Community mitigation is a set of actions that persons and communities can take to help slow the spread of respiratory virus infections. These actions are especially important before a vaccine or drug becomes widely available. The goals for using mitigation strategies in communities is to slow the transmission of the virus and to protect:
– Individuals at increased risk for severe illness, including older adults and persons of any age with underlying health conditions
– The healthcare and critical infrastructure workforces
– Minimizing disruptions to daily life to the extent possible
Because of this, the Tippecanoe County Health Department is recommending the following actions;
- Modify, postpone or cancel large open to the general public events (50 or greater) for the safety and well-being of your event staff, participants and the community.
- Develop messages that discourage people who are sick from attending events. This should include messages requesting that people leave events if they begin to have symptoms of acute respiratory virus.
- Plan ways to limit in-person contact for staff supporting your events.
- Develop flexible refund policies for participants. Create refund policies that permit participants the flexibility to stay home when they are sick, need to care for sick household members or are at high risk for complications from COVID-19.
- Communicate with your community members if events are changed, postponed, or cancelled.
- Emphasize everyday preventive actions through increased communications with employees and visitors to your organization.
- Stay home when sick.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow.
- Wash hands often.
- Limit close contact with others as much as possible (about 6 feet).
- Provide prevention supplies to event staff and participants. This can include hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, tissues, trash baskets, and cleaners and disinfectants.
- Consider alternatives for staff and participants who are at high risk for complications from COVID-19.
- Implement flexible staff attendance and sick-leave policies, if possible.
- Separate those who become sick at your event from those who are well. Establish procedures to help sick staff or participants leave the event as soon as possible.
- Determine the need to postpone or cancel your events.
As the CDC continues to state the immediate risk remains low for Americans, the TCHD in conjunction with our public health, public safety, hospitals and Purdue University partners continue to review/update plans that are in place.
Please remember, we are in extraordinary times with this virus. It is going to take the whole community to work together, be vigilant and stay the course. We all need to change how we are going about our daily life for the time being.
Stay up-to-date on the latest information by checking credible sources of information, including the ISDH website at in.gov/isdh and the CDC website at cdc.gov/COVID19. More information will be shared about additional recommendations as the situation changes.