Leaders stress caution, guidelines as businesses reopen

Published 3:47 pm Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Pat Donahue/Times-EnterpriseThomas County Commission Chairman Phillip Brown speaks during Tuesday's event that outlined the soft opening for some area businesses.

THOMASVILLE — Local business and government leaders urged Thomas County residents to keep safety in mind if they decide to patronize local businesses.

Leaders from Thomas County, Thomasville and state government gathered Tuesday afternoon at the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce, reminding residents that opening businesses and visiting those establishments is voluntary.

“This has been a very difficult time for all of us in south Georgia,” said state Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville), “across the state and across the country. Keep in mind — opening your business and going to a business is voluntary. Only go if you want to; if you’re not comfortable, don’t go. Businesses will have to get the confidence that their patrons will be safe.”

Some businesses that had been shuttered by state order were allowed to reopen last week. Gov. Brian Kemp’s office has outlined 20 guidelines for businesses to reopen, including screening workers and improving workplace sanitation.  

“We are in unchartered territory with new rules,” Taylor said. “It’s a new way of doing business, but the economy will open. We will adapt to our new circumstances. But turning on the economy will happen.”

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Thomas County Emergency Management Director Chris Jones said individuals’ choices and actions can turn what is a category 5 hurricane into a tropical storm.

“This is not a sprint,” he said. “It is a marathon. Individually, every one of us can make a difference in the outcome.”

Participants in Tuesday’s afternoon event wore masks and practiced social distancing. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Andrea Collins urged businesses and the public to continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.

“We’re all in this storm together,” said Thomasville City Council member Jay Flowers. “We all have different types of boats and different types of situations, but the storm is common to all of us.”

State Rep. John LaHood (R-Valdosta) also urged people to “stay the course.” As the owner of an assisted living facility, he said he has seen first-hand the effects of COVID-19 on an older person.

“Small changes in our lifestyle will make a very, very big, dramatic difference in those who are vulnerable around us,” he said.

Archbold vice president for planning and marketing Mark Lowe urged the public to continue the practices of social distancing and other preventive measures.

“Relaxing adherence to or ignoring clinical expert guidance to physically distance ourselves, wear masks and maintain other hygiene protocols threatens the outstanding work our front line staff have tirelessly focused on so we can all be safer,” he said. “Whether you own or run a business or are a customer, keep up the COVID-19 prevention practices you’ve learned and used for many weeks now. The decisions you make affect your community.”

Lowe also warned that stepping back from those recommendations could lead to another round of COVID-19 cases later. Archbold Memorial Hospital is beginning a slow, deliberate phasing in of some services, he said, “fully knowing that we may need to pivot back to a point where we are only able to provide essential services based on the number of COVID-19 patients we’re caring for and availability of (personal protective equipment).”

Taylor said the state has ramped up its COVID-19 testing, working closely with private laboratories, state and local health departments and state universities. 

“It’s been in the works for quite a while and lot of it wasn’t publicly known,” she said.

The state also has increased contact tracing to see how the novel coronavirus spreads, Taylor said. 

The statewide shelter-in-place order remains in effect, and those who are medically fragile do not need to go out, Taylor cautioned. 

Officials added the virus isn’t going to disappear in a short time but with more people following the guidelines, it can lessen the impact.

“When one of us hurts, we all hurt,” Thomas County Commission Chairman Phillip Brown said. “We’ll get through this. It’s going to go away if we work together and as a team, and I know we can do it in Thomasville and Thomas County.”

Editor Pat Donahue can be reached at (229) 226-2400 ext. 1806.