People should, for now, go ahead with normal activities as much as possible in the wake of the threat posed by the coronavirus, according to Laclede County Health Department Director Charla Baker.
Baker spoke at a coronavirus briefing for Laclede County area officials Thursday morning. She said there are currently no known cases in the county and encouraged people to continue their routines, including concerts and plays scheduled at local schools this week.
“If I knew we had a positive case in Laclede County, I would say don’t do this,” she said. “We don’t right now that we know of.”
“At this point I do not want to stop the normal functions of our community for as long as possible,” Baker said. “There’s going to be a point in time where we will have to make difficult decisions but for as long as I feel confident that we are as healthy and protected as we can be from this, you’re not going to hear me say I think we should cancel something.”
She said people planning on spring break trips should take the same precautions as usual.
“I don’t want to shut down our community, we don’t need to live in fear, we don’t need to be afraid to go and do anything as long as we know it’s not here,” she said.
But Baker said that could change if the coronavirus spreads to the local area.
“If the situation changes, we’ll have to make some decisions at that point,” she said. “Let’s keep living our lives until this disease makes us change that and I know it probably will be coming before long.”
She said for now everyone should practice caution.
One person was being tested for the illness in Rolla.
