COVID-19 affects nearly every facet of life

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

It’s not often that courts make allowances for anything, which makes the current COVID-19 pandemic especially unusual.

A temporary order issued Thursday by Probate-Juvenile Judge Kevin Taylor, presiding judge for the Van Wert County Common Pleas Court system, and Common Pleas Judge Martin D. Burchfield, authorized some changes in how the court’s three divisions, Juvenile, Probate, and Common Pleas, operate during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

The judges noted the temporary order was in response to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s executive order declaring a state of emergency in Ohio, as well as the World Health Organization’s declaration that the COVID-19 outbreak is a global pandemic requiring “urgent and aggressive action” to control the spread of the virus.

The temporary order allows each of the three Common Pleas divisions to temporarily adapt its local rules of court so as to be flexible, within Constitutional limits, to challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Security policies may also be “amended or supplemented” to protect public health while maintaining court functions.

In order to limit the number of people in the courts, each division will use audio-visual devices and technologies for all actions and proceedings.

In addition, the public health emergency may also be considered a reason to request a continuance of a hearing or other court action on a case-by-case basis, although the temporary order also noted that Constitutional and Statutory requirements for criminal, delinquency, abuse, neglect, and dependency matters may not allow a continuance.

All hearings that can be facilitated by means of email or by phone will be done that way, if possible.

The courts are following changes already announced by city and county government to close the Municipal Building and Van Wert County Courthouse to all non-essential traffic, while the city police department and county sheriff’s office have also limited who can access their areas of control.

A number of other agencies have also closed their offices to most of their clients, including the County Department of Job and Family Services, the Van Wert Soil and Water Conservation District, and Ohio State University Extension office.

Meanwhile, commerce has mostly been forced outside for many local businesses — at least those not closed by order of Governor DeWine.

Local restaurants have closed their inside dining areas, while bars, hair and nail salons, barbershops, tattoo parlors, and spas were ordered closed by the governor. Ohio schools are also closed until at least April 6, with many districts implementing in-home homework assignments or e-learning protocols to continue student education.

Most local financial institutions have also closed their lobbies to most customer traffic, requesting that patrons use their drive-thru services, telephone, or go online when possible. Services that cannot be provided in those ways will be set by appointment to minimize the number of people in a financial institution.

Many larger businesses, such as department stores, have also made changes to limit the number of customers and allow employees more time to clean store facilities.

Walmart first went from a 24-hour operation to closing from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. and, on Thursday, further reduced its hours to 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Employee hours will not be reduced, but spent in restocking and store sanitizing, according to a news release from Walmart Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer-U.S. Dacona Smith.

In addition, Walmart will also implement a one-hour senior shopping time for those age 60 and older from 6-7 a.m. Tuesdays. The special senior shopping time will run from March 24-April 28. During that time, Walmart’s pharmacy and vision centers will also be open to assist seniors.

Walmart will also place limits on certain items, including paper products, milk, eggs, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, water, diapers, formula, and baby food, although no information was provided on what those limits would be.

Walmart’s Auto Centers will also be temporarily closed and those employees reassigned to help stock and clean the rest of the store.

Other stores will likely make changes similar to Walmart’s in an attempt to limit employee-customer contact and discourage hoarding of some products.

In addition to the shuttering of inside restaurant dining rooms, entertainment venues, such as the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, have also postponed or canceled shows.

It’s also still unclear when Ohio’s primary election will be held. State officials postponed the election until June 2, but it’s certainly not clear whether the COVID-19 health crisis will be over by then.