As we’ve reported, the Summit County Council Wednesday approved a Stay-at-Home Order for all county residents.

The order does allow citizens to make essential trips—to groceries or convenience stores, medical appointments, banks, post offices and similar items.

But the county health director says they will take additional precautions about the number of people in groceries.

Council unanimously approved the order during their “virtual” meeting, noting that it applies to the entire county, including incorporated cities. They said they had discussed the order with all the mayors and got their support as well.

Health Director Rich Bullough said that a number of stores have limited the number of customers inside at one time. But this hasn’t happened with grocery stores.

“So we are going to field a team of people from the health department in the next couple of days, beginning tomorrow, to begin working specifically with grocery stores, and putting in place specific guidelines and recommendations for how many people can be in the store, what the process is, etc. That is absolutely a loophole in our entire community response to this. And frankly we’ve been surprised by it, but we’re aware of it. And we will begin addressing it. (Doug Clyde) I don’t think it’s a loophole. It’s just an area where we have perhaps not been as direct in giving them instructions on how to proceed under our existing ordinance. (Bullough) I agree with that. That’s more accurate.”

That response from Council Chairman Doug Clyde.

The order also still allows ordering from restaurants that dispense food under curbside restrictions.

Council Member Kim Carson said that citizens can take precautions on their own in food outlets.

“I sent my husband to the store during the senior hour. And he had his gloves. He had his disinfectant wipes. And we made sure that when we brought things home, that outer packaging was disposed of, just to be safe and things like that.”

Deputy County Manager Janna Young said they’re looking to adopt best practices used by others, such as Park City and Trader Joe’s in California.

“In order to limit people coming in, and making them stand on a red “X” taped onto the ground to create some distancing when they’re waiting to check out and things like this. So I think there are other models across the country we can look at, and just make sure that we’re getting that information to Smith’s and Wal-Mart and Fresh Market and all those where we’re seeing these problems. And then also, taking some advice from Park City, trying to work on some signage too that we put out at those stores, encouraging people to—if it’s crowded, come back or wait in your car until things open up a little bit.”

Council Member Glenn Wright added this suggestion.

“One thing that most people—hopefully me and most people can do is avoid handling cash. Cash is mobile petri dishes. If you can use a credit card and—rather than a debit card so you don’t even have to touch the key pad at the store—you’re ahead of the game.”

Council Member Carson said approving the order was not something they took lightly.

“I think we were our own biggest critics, and trying to think of “what if”s—what if we could do this, what if we could do that. And I think that’s been demonstrated in the first two orders, trying to do things at certain levels. But unfortunately with our rate of infection, I feel like this is the only sound choice for us to make at this point.”

Finally, Doug Clyde reminded residents that they don’t have to stay cooped up indoors, that they still live in a community with attractive outdoor amenities.

“We are trying to make life as normal as possible in these extremely abnormal times. So within that, we of course are allowing people to go out, and—encouraging people frankly to go out and recreate, because recreation is part of health. And we feel that that’s important to do. I think I want to urge all the members of the county, all the county citizens that, you ought to take advantage of our extremely wonderful recreational opportunities, and get out and use those, to the extent that they do not conflict with our gathering procedures.”

Summit County council Chairman Doug Clyde.