By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti made clear Friday that nothing to this point should hold back the 4th of July Patriots Parade in Hutchinson.
"There is nothing at this point that leads me to believe that there won't be a 4th of July parade," Baldetti said. "As we've seen over the last four or so months, moreso at a national level and at the state level things can change rather rapidly. Of course, we'll be continuing to monitor very closely the metrics and activity here in Reno County around SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19."
The parade route, if people are serious about social distancing, may look a little different.
"When we talk about social distance, we're also talking about family units, as well and familiar units," Baldetti said. "I would expect for an activity such as the July 4th parade that we can have those groups that can sit and enjoy the parade on the sidewalk or on the side of the road, but we can, generally speaking, we can still constitute distance between those groups."
Baldetti doesn't see that unreasonably extending the parade route beyond its usual length. He believes events will be on in general unless circumstances in disease spread between now and then change that.
"Consider them on, but we're also heavily advocating for kind of the standard practices that we've heard that are tried and true over the last four months," Baldetti said. "That's social distancing, routine hygiene practices, upper respiratory etiquette, stay home if you're sick, you know, all the things that we've been bludgeoned with over the last three to four months."
The health order issued lasts past the July 4th holiday.