Stay at Home Public Health Emergency Order to be enacted for Bates County, Missouri
BATES COUNTY, MO (March 27, 2020) – Bates County Health Center Director in consultation with the Bates County Memorial Hospital, and Public Officials within the county – will issue a Stay at Home order for all of Bates County effective March 30, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. This emergency order is being issued to protect the health and safety of all residents of Bates County, with the goal of limiting the continued spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Effective 12:01 a.m. March 30, 2020 until 11:59 p.m. April 24, 2020:
• Bates County residents are required to stay at home unless they are engaged in one of the essential activities specified in the order.
• Essential activities include working in an essential business, obtaining supplies or necessary services (including but not limited to food, medicine, cleaning supplies, and pet food), seeking medical care, caring for a family member or loved one, and exercising and maintaining personal health. Individuals are strongly encouraged to practice social distancing to the extent feasible while engaging in these activities and to stay home if not engaging in one of these specific activities.
• All non-essential business or non-essential operations must cease in-person operations. Operations may continue if business activities can be performed remotely.
• Essential businesses are those that provide critical services or support for daily living, personal health, or safety. A complete list can be found on the Order on the Bates County Health Center website. Vulnerable populations including the elderly and those with underlying health conditions must stay-at-home. For those who are younger and in good health, please reach out to those in this group and pick up needed items for those who cannot get items themselves. Remember to drop off items at the door and to not make personal contact. We are continuously monitoring the evolving situation and working to ensure our community is prepared.
We ask the public to please continue practicing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while under this Order.
If you suspect that you have COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, call your healthcare provider to let them know before seeking care. It is critical that your provider is aware you may have COVID-19 prior to your arrival at a healthcare facility, and that you follow all instructions for arriving at a healthcare facility.
For more information please visit our website at www.batescountyhealthcenter.org or call the State of Missouri Hotline at 1-877-435-8411.

To the citizens of Bates County, we are aware of the Stay at Home Order issued by the Health Officials for Bates County. We understand that some of you may not fully understand the Stay at Home Order and what it means for Law Enforcement. We respectfully ask you, for the safety of your family and neighbors, to abide by the order issued. We ask that you do your part to help solve this for all of us.

Collectively, we want to limit any rumors that will surely arise out of this. We will NOT be setting up roadblocks to confirm that you are traveling for essential functions. We will NOT be making random traffic stops for the sole purpose of identifying your destination. If you are stopped for traffic violations or a criminal offense, that is a question commonly asked by law enforcement.

You will NOT be required to provide any papers to prove you are on official essential duties or traveling for the purpose of an essential job. This order is enforceable through the courts if it becomes necessary but we as Chiefs and Sheriff feel that our community will continue to do their part to save lives within our community.

We appreciate all of your help and we are proud to serve in the communities that we do because there is no place like living here.

Sheriff Chad Anderson – Bates County Sheriff
Chief Jerret Wheatley – Butler Police Department
Chief Chris Dillon – Adrian Police Department
Chief Dave Johnson – Rich Hill Police Department

Regarding the close proximity of my earlier post, to that of the Bates Co Health Department, our post was written Wednesday, and no official plans were in place at that time for the Stay at Home Order.  Our post went online later than we wanted, and the Stay At Home Order, came out much
earlier than we anticipated.  

That being said, I hope everyone understands that the sooner we get infection rates under control, thus saving the lives of the sick and or elderly, the sooner things will normalize, and we can all get on with our lives.

The recent posting from the Health Department is the most recent update.

Press release from the Bates County Office of Emergency Management.

At this time of crises, the Bates County Commissioners, the Bates County EMA, and Bates County Health Center would like to assure the general public that we are closely monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 situation.
We having between 2 and 4 meetings a week to discuss options and plan our strategy to combat the spread of this disease. Local partners also include the Bates County Sheriffs office, Bates County Memorial Hospital, Butler City Hall, and Butler Police and Fire. Press information and news releases from the Commissioners and Emergency management
can be found on the www.batescomo.net with links on the Bates County page at www.batescounty.net. Our posts will automatically download to our Facebook page and are available to share.

Also be sure to check out these websites and their Facebook pages for more information
Bates County Health Center – www.batescountyhealthcenter.org
Bates County Memorial Hospital – www.bcmhospital.com
Bates County Emergency Management Agency – www.batescomo.net
Bates County Courthouse – www.batescounty.net

Thank you
Dennis Jacobs, Director
Bates County Emergency Management Agency