To help decrease the exposure opportunities of COVID-19, the Cedar Falls Public Library, Community Center, Hearst Center for the Arts, and Cedar Falls Recreation and Fitness Center will be closed to the public for two weeks following Spring Break. Please see the below message from Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green regarding these updates:
Neighbors,
During next week’s Spring Break, I do not intend to restrict access to city facilities. I’ve made this decision after consulting with the Black Hawk County Public Health Director and from evaluating the city’s exposure risk (which is currently low). City staff and I will be monitoring the national and regional situation closely; if coronavirus cases are confirmed in Black Hawk County, I will reevaluate this decision. Many working parents and guardians rely on the city’s Spring Break to keep their children active during work hours. Given the current low risk of exposure, I do not believe it is necessary to end these activities.
That said, the weeks following Spring Break may increase exposure opportunities, after residents have returned from their Spring Break travels at the end of next week. For this reason, at the end of business on Friday, March 20th, the Cedar Falls Public Library, the Hearst Center for the Arts, Community Center, and Recreation and Fitness Center will be closed to the public until the morning of Saturday, April 4th unless an extended closure is warranted. During this time, staff will still be working in these facilities, but will focus their efforts on maintenance, administrative work, and other non-public-facing activities.
My closure decision and timing is based on the absence of community transmission of the COVID-19 virus at this time. For most of us, catching the coronavirus will just be an unpleasant annoyance; my primary goal is to limit exposure to a level and rate that can be managed by the local health care system and its dedicated professionals.
Apart from the above listed facilities, all other city facilities and functions will remain open and operational. If you have business with the city, I encourage you to use online forms, e-mail, phone calls, and similar channels to limit in-person contact. Strong personal hygiene (vigorous hand washing, especially), social distancing, and limiting travel are also key to minimizing the spread of COVID-19.
Again, city staff and I are closely monitoring the national and regional situation, and the city will take additional measures as warranted. Additional information and resources will be posted to the city website (www.cedarfalls.com) as needed, as well as traditional and social media outlets.
Very Respectfully,
Mayor Rob Green