Per a request from Commissioner Lumon May, Escambia County is taking additional preventative action to ensure  community centers, libraries and other public buildings are sanitized.
“We are doing everything possible to keep our community healthy when they walk through our doors,†said District 3 Commissioner May. “County employees have ramped up cleaning efforts quickly as a precaution.”
He added, “The best action we can take right now are preventative steps to protect against the spread of influenza, coronavirus or similar diseases. I have asked the County Administrator to ensure that ECAT buses, community centers and libraries are closely monitored and sanitized.â€
Staff and contractors are increasing the disinfecting of restrooms, customer service areas, exterior entrances, door knobs, hard surfaces and other high-traffic areas. Escambia County staff continue to follow the general cleaning and precautionary guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health organizations. The contracted custodial provider has been informed of CDC recommendations and ensure their process is in line with those recommendations.
Commercial hospital-grade disinfectant is being used with each cleaning following the manufacturers recommendation for dwell time. Sanitizer dispensers have been placed throughout various high-traffic buildings such as the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building. Additional sanitizer dispensers have been ordered for high-volume buildings like community centers and the ECAT facility. CDC signage has been placed in bathrooms in county facilities.
The library will continue to offer hand sanitizer at all help desks and Lysol wipes to wipe down computers. Library staff will continue to use Lysol wipes on all computers before the library opens each day, and they have increased wiping down work surfaces throughout the day. Library staff sprays door knobs with Lysol multiple times per day as an additional precaution.
ECAT’s Fleet maintenance team is working to make sure vehicles and facilities are continuously sanitized. All revenue service vehicles are disinfected daily. Commercial grade disinfectant is currently being used every night by ECAT bus cleaners, which was added as part of the enhanced comprehensive bus cleaning process. The county has communicated with the contracted paratransit provider to relay CDC information and has ensured the steps they are taking are sufficient.
More on Pressers
Maybe the commissioners could request a press conference. The news director for WUWF, Tom Ninestine, commented on our Facebook: “I know there was support to allow reporters into the County-Department of Health meeting Tuesday, but locals arguing on our behalf were shot down.”
During the BP Oil Spill and other disasters, there was a process. Media watched the EOC from a separate room. When the meeting adjourned, county officials held a presser with the media.
This isn’t difficult to solve.