Rockford gets 'proactive' about virus

ROCKFORD - Several Rockford community leaders on Monday explained how COVID-19 has affected village life and encouraged residents to continue supporting local businesses.

The segment was hosted on the village radio station WRKD 101.3-FM. A recording will be posted on the station's website, according to Chris Rasbach, a member of the station's board of directors.

Mayor Amy Joseph asked residents to support local businesses as best as they could in these troubling times. Many local businesses remain open and offer carryout and takeout options for food, and local grocery stores have the necessities.

She advised residents to use common sense and not go out unless the trip was essential but to keep an eye on their neighbors and look after one another.

"Also with school being out for three weeks and parents are still working, as a community, I think we could pull together and help with each other's kids," Joseph said.

Most community events have been postponed, including The Great Panther Duck Races which have been tentatively put off to April 18. The community Easter egg hunt has also been postponed.

"Some people might think we're being overreactive. I'm a proactive person, so I think that if we can do all that we can right now to slow it down, then I think we'd be a lot better off in the long run," Joseph said.

Joseph read a statement from Parkway Local Schools Superintendent Jeanne Osterfeld, stating teachers would continue to communicate with students and parents during the school shutdown. Teachers will be available by email to answer questions from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Meals also will be provided to students at their request from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Mendon Church of God, Willshire village office and at Parkway High School. The pickup locations will have a drive-thru, and individuals picking up meals will remain in their vehicles.

Wabash Communications is also setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot in the community building parking lot for children who don't have access to internet at home, Joseph said.

"They can sit in the parking lot, they're asked not to get out of their vehicles, but they can stay in their cars and access Wi-Fi, do their homework and turn assignments in that way," she continued.

Dr. Norman Means discussed some details of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. The virus was very different from influenza, he said. According to Means, medical experts are finding COVID-19 appears to infect the epithelial cells of the lower respiratory tract, which could cause it to be more serious than a typical cold.

The younger victims are, the less severely it will likely affect them, he continued. To his knowledge, no cases have been reported in infants and no fatalities below the age of 9. The risk factor goes up with age.

"I think that's an important thing to understand with the young people. They can get it, and then they shed the virus, and so they're not trying to protect themselves when they don't go out to the club or, unfortunately, to the local brew pub. They're protecting their grandma back home," Means said.

Social distancing isn't intended to completely protect against the virus but as a means of slowing the spread of infections so as not to overwhelm hospitals, he said.

Kara Smith, director of the Mercer County Emergency Medical Services, asked people calling an ambulance who believe they may have COVID-19 to disclose that suspicion to the dispatch operator. Doing so allows first responders to prepare by wearing protective gear.

First responders who are otherwise exposed would automatically need to be quarantined for two weeks, and finding EMS volunteers is already a struggle, Smith said.

Finally, local business owner Luke Stephenson talked about how state measures requiring businesses to limit operations to carry out and delivery services has affected his business.

Stephenson is an owner of Second Crossing Brewing Co. and said while customers may not be allowed to hang out in the business and socialize as they normally would, it was still selling growlers of beer for pickup. The supply of growlers is limited, though, so he suggested people who have their own growlers to bring them in to be sanitized and filled.