CLEVELAND — As many businesses have been forced to change during the pandemic, some have taken on different responsibilities and even more importance. Public Health officials already have a vast range of expertise.
“The Health Department is charged with all sorts of public health duties, septic inspections and well inspections,” says Tonia Burford with Summit County Public Health. “We do air quality and open burning complaints, we also have an entire division that works on rabies. We have a lot of inspections that we’re responsible for.”
In March of 2020, COVID-19 added a whole different element to their job description.
Burford says, “The Health Department has always been an agency that accepts complaints about public health concerns. So when new orders came out from the governor, it was a pretty easy fit for us to just jump in and do those inspections and do that enforcement.”
Local health departments, already tasked with inspecting everything from pools and campgrounds to restaurants and grocery stores, have seen their long list of business responsibilities grow even longer during the pandemic. Now, they’re checking in on hardware stores, car dealerships and more. Any business that gets a COVID-19 complaint falls under their umbrella.
“By far the most common complaint that we get is people not adhering to the mask ordinance. So, we do a lot of addressing and educating around masking and why it’s important,” says Burford.
Now, in addition to checking fridge and freezer temperatures, proper sanitation and codes, health inspectors are measuring 6 ft distances, giving mask demonstrations and enforcing new coronavirus ordinances.
Burford says, “A lot of enforcement is really about talking to people and educating them. Most people want to comply, is what we have found. A lot of people are very confused about what the requirements are and sometimes they just need a little bit of help to figure out what they can do in their business to make it safer.”
It’s another responsibility, but one they say falls within their job description to make sure the public feels as safe as possible.
“So that when people do leave their homes, they are leaving and going to safer environments,” says Burford. “That’s the goal.”