After year of COVID shutdowns, Columbia sets date for return to normal operations
For more than a year, most city of Columbia government buildings have been closed to the public as a precaution amid the COVID-19 global pandemic. But now the capital city has circled a date for a reopening.
And, after meeting virtually since March 2020, Columbia City Council also has set a date for returning to in-person meetings.
Columbia City Manager Teresa Wilson said the city plans to return to normal operations on July 6. That will mean the reopening of major public-facing facilities to the public, including City Hall and Washington Square on Main Street. Wilson informed the city’s employees of the return to normal operations in a memo earlier this month.
Wilson told The State Monday that, because of the nature of their work, many of the city’s employees — police officers, firefighters, sanitation workers, water plant personnel, etc. — have been working in-person throughout the pandemic. However, staff members who have been working remotely, or on hybrid schedules, will transition back to normal operations on July 6.
The city has about 2,300 total employees.
Wilson said employees will be required to wear masks in city buildings, as will members of the public. She said that rule could be lifted as COVID vaccinations among employees increase.
“(Centers for Disease Control) guidelines state that fully vaccinated people are not required to wear a mask, however, until I am confident that the majority of employees are vaccinated, employees will be required to wear masks/face coverings,” Wilson wrote in her memo to employees. “Any employees who do not wear a mask or violate any other COVID protocols will be subject to disciplinary action. Employees are strongly encouraged to get fully vaccinated and do your part in making sure your fellow employees and the public are safe.”
The city manager said employee work environments will continue to be monitored to make sure workers have what they need to feel safe as it relates to the pandemic.
District 4 City Councilman Daniel Rickenmann, a mayoral candidate, lauded the reopening in a recent Facebook post, saying that, though the return is “long overdue,” it will be “great to know that our staff will be back in the office and the city facilities will again be open to the public.”
Columbia reopened many parks facilities, including pools, several weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the Columbia City Council, which began meeting virtually in March 2020 and has continued to do so ever since, has set a return date for in-person meetings. Council members will meet in-person July 20 at the Busby Street Community Center at 1735 Busby St. That facility has large rooms that will allow for better social distancing.
There will likely be capacity restrictions, but full details are not yet known.
“We are still working on narrowing that number down,” city clerk Erika Hammond said. “We have some staff looking at the facility and taking CDC regulations into consideration.”
Even as the council comes back to in-person meetings, city officials stressed the sessions will continue to be live-streamed on the city’s YouTube channel, and people will still be able to provide public input via the telephone.
