A group of Banks Countians continue to plan how the county would handle a pandemic flu outbreak. Several Banks County business owners attended a meeting on Monday to discuss how their business would deal with a flu pandemic outbreak. The meeting was hosted by the Banks County Chamber of Commerce. Chamber director Tara Fulcher said this is the first of many meetings to help the Banks County business community prepare for a flu pandemic outbreak.
Mark Palen, District 2 Public Health, spoke to Banks County business owners on Monday about plans to deal with a pandemic flu outbreak.
Countians continue to plan for flu outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that among working adults, an average of 20 percent will become ill during an outbreak, although illness rates will be highest among school-aged children and decline with age.
Mark Palen, District 2 Public Health, said the things that make a flu pandemic different is this is something that could last six to eight weeks possibly followed by a lull and then another wave coming in.
When a pandemic occurs, many people will become sick at the same time and will be unable to go to work. Many others will stay at home to care for sick family members.
Schools and business might close down to try to prevent the disease from spreading further. Public transportation might be shut down. This is an example of some of the challenges that local communities, schools, organizations and businesses will have to work together to plan for a pandemic response.
Banks County has been working for the past two years to put together a county plan, Deidra Moore, Banks County EMA and 911 Director, said.
Palen said, “We tried to break the community up into different segments, like businesses, churches, public health, etc.”
Each segment needs to have a plan in place to deal with this situation. Each plan needs to address three phases. The preparedness phase, the response phase and the recovery phase.
In the preparedness phase for business owners, Palen said, one of the key things is to educate both employees and customers. There are several brochures available from public health that will help citizens prepare their home for this pandemic.
In the event of a pandemic, social distancing will be a key factor. Voluntary compliance to this will be needed.
In response to a pandemic, a business owner will be faced with the issue of staying open or closing, and if they choose to stay open, what do they do to protect their employees, and do they allow their employees to travel home or do they have facilities set up for them to remain at the business.
After a pandemic, the business owners will need to have a plan for the recovery period. After a pandemic, it will be some time before things return to normal.
Fulcher encourages all Banks County business owners to attend the next meeting and if they already have a plan in place to deal with a pandemic to please bring it to share with others.
Moore said, “It is not a what if, but a when we have a pandemic. We all need to be prepared.”
Mark Palen, District 2 Public Health, said the things that make a flu pandemic different is this is something that could last six to eight weeks possibly followed by a lull and then another wave coming in.
When a pandemic occurs, many people will become sick at the same time and will be unable to go to work. Many others will stay at home to care for sick family members.
Schools and business might close down to try to prevent the disease from spreading further. Public transportation might be shut down. This is an example of some of the challenges that local communities, schools, organizations and businesses will have to work together to plan for a pandemic response.
Banks County has been working for the past two years to put together a county plan, Deidra Moore, Banks County EMA and 911 Director, said.
Palen said, “We tried to break the community up into different segments, like businesses, churches, public health, etc.”
Each segment needs to have a plan in place to deal with this situation. Each plan needs to address three phases. The preparedness phase, the response phase and the recovery phase.
In the preparedness phase for business owners, Palen said, one of the key things is to educate both employees and customers. There are several brochures available from public health that will help citizens prepare their home for this pandemic.
In the event of a pandemic, social distancing will be a key factor. Voluntary compliance to this will be needed.
In response to a pandemic, a business owner will be faced with the issue of staying open or closing, and if they choose to stay open, what do they do to protect their employees, and do they allow their employees to travel home or do they have facilities set up for them to remain at the business.
After a pandemic, the business owners will need to have a plan for the recovery period. After a pandemic, it will be some time before things return to normal.
Fulcher encourages all Banks County business owners to attend the next meeting and if they already have a plan in place to deal with a pandemic to please bring it to share with others.
Moore said, “It is not a what if, but a when we have a pandemic. We all need to be prepared.”
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