SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Sioux Falls passed a comprehensive emergency ordinance Thursday to combat the coronavirus.
The ordinance, which the City Council passed unanimously, limits gatherings at city-owned buildings to 250 people or fewer. That includes the Premier Center and the Washington Pavilion, though the zoo and baseball stadium are left out.
The Pavilion’s Kirby Science Center and Visual Arts Museum, as well as the Midco Aquatics Center, are closed for the time being. Community centers are closed for everything except after school programs.
City Public Health Director Jill Franken says the 250-person cap is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She said the effort to limit crowds was a key step in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
If the virus were to spread too quickly, that could lead to a “rapid spike” in demand for health care that would strain hospitals “to the point where they could not manage those patients,” Franken said. The mitigation method is known as “flattening the curve.”
Councilor Rick Kiley said the ordinance was “wise,” referencing recent outbreaks of the coronavirus in other parts of the country.
“There are communities in Washington State and the state of New York that wish they would have done something like this quite a while ago,” Kiley said. “Unfortunately you can’t roll the clock back, so we are being proactive.”
“By no means do I see this as hitting the panic button,” Kiley added. “We need to get in front of this so we can control it.”
The annual Sioux Empire Sportsman’s Show at the Premier was shut down Thursday. Show officials say the city made the decision to close the show. The Sioux Falls Stampede hockey team, which plays its home games at the Premier Center, is on hiatus after the United States Hockey League suspended its season.
Several councilors stressed that comparisons between the coronavirus and the seasonal flu are misguided. One top federal health official estimated the virus is roughly ten times more deadly than the flu on average.
Councilor Christine Erickson encouraged citizens to avoid leaving the house if it’s not necessary.
“Stay home. Binge on Netflix, do whatever you need to do, but let’s stay home to make sure that we’re not spreading this to those that are most vulnerable in our community,” Erickson said.
The ordinance will stay in effect until Mayor Paul TenHaken rescinds the emergency declaration he announced Thursday afternoon. It also allows for TenHaken and city officials to recommend further action if needed to respond to the pandemic.
