Health Commissioner's Order No. 13

This Order No. 13 amends and supplements previous Health Commissioner’s Orders 8, and 9 and rescinds Order No. 10 and 12. This Order No. 13 shall become effective at 12:00 a.m. on August 13, 2020 and will continue to be in effect until September 7, 2020, unless it is extended, rescinded, superseded, or amended in writing by me.

My intent is to ensure that the maximum number of people and businesses take prudent precautions to reduce the exposure to, and slow the spread of, COVID-19. All provisions of this Order shall be interpreted to effectuate this intent.

Whereas, a resurgence of COVID cases is recurring, there is sustained increase in percent positivity in the City of St. Louis and the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, and the seven-day moving average of COVID hospital admissions in the region have increased from less than 20 to over 40;

Further, over the last month, individuals in their 20’s and 30’s represent over 50% of the new positive cases;

These trends having been realized, this Order No. 13 is being adopted in order to revise guidance and standards pertaining to the mitigation of COVID-19.

1. Bars, restaurants and nightclubs shall limit their capacity to 50% of their permitted occupancy or less and shall close by 11:00 p.m.  As used herein, the terms “bars”, “restaurants” and “nightclubs” refer to establishments which serve or permit alcoholic beverages to be served for consumption by guests on the premises, including but not limited to, establishments commonly referred to as restaurants, event spaces, taverns, nightclubs, cocktail lounges, and cabarets.
2. Large venues shall reduce their capacity to 50% or less of their permitted occupancy and shall continue to comply with the Guidance and Protocols for Cultural Institutions/Destinations & Attractions/Large Venues attached to Order No 9 as Exhibit I.
3. All businesses shall encourage employees and volunteers to quarantine or isolate if they have or are believed to have COVID-19 or if they have come into contact with individual(s) with COVID-19. All businesses shall encourage employees and volunteers who have been tested for COVID-19 to self-quarantine until they receive their test results. As used herein, the term “quarantine” refers to the separation and restriction of movement for 14 days of persons who have been exposed to COVID-19 to see if they become sick.  Individuals must comply with CDC’s quarantine guidelines. As used herein, the term “isolation” refers to the restriction of movement and separation of people who test positive for COVID-19 from the general population until they meet CDC’s criteria for ending isolation.
4. Any business that closed as a result of an enforcement action or to protect the public’s health may conduct activities necessary to perform the following activities: maintain the value of a business’s inventory, provide security, process payroll or employee benefits, or to facilitate employees of the business being able to continue to work remotely provided that such activities do not further endanger the public’s health.

Other provisions set forth in the City of St. Louis Health Commissioner’s Orders 8, 9, and 11, including all attachments, remain in effect.

BY THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME BY ARTICLE XIII, SECTION 14-C (C) OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS AND BY 19 CSR 20-20.050 (C) OF THE CODE OF STATE REGULATIONS, AND AFTER THE ABOVE-REFERENCED CRITERIA HAVE BEEN MET, I HEREBY ISSUE THE ORDER ATTACHED HERETO AND INCORPORATED HEREIN BY THIS REFRENCE WITH RESPECT TO THE GRADUAL REOPENING OF THE CITY.

SO ORDERED:

August 12, 2020