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COVID-19 Communication
Thank you for visiting our COVID-19 Communications page. We will be updating this page daily as situations change.
- Police Department
- Parks, Recreation, & Forestry
- Public Works Department
- Planning & Development
- Economic Development
- Municipal Court
- University City Public Library
Parks, Centennial Commons and Community Center
Mulch Services
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the availability of staff to perform essential services, the City has suspended all mulch services until further notice.
Parks
City Manager Gregory Rose has announced that trails, tennis courts and general areas of parks will reopen on Friday, May 1st. However, basketball courts, athletic fields, pavilions, golf course, community center and Centennial Commons Recreation Center will remain closed until further notice.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the following park facilities continue to remain closed until further notice.
- Pavilions
- Athletic Fields (Closed for general use. Permits may be issued for organized use.)
- Ackert Park Playground
- Eastgate Park Playground
- Flynn Park Playground
- Kaufman Park Playground
- Kingsland Park Playground
- Lewis Park Playground
- Majerus Park Playground
- Metcalfe Park Playground
- Mooney Park Playground
- Rabe Park Playground
The City has received approval from the St. Louis County Health Department to start opening playgrounds. Select playgrounds within the City are scheduled to be phased in for opening over the next several months.
Park Maintenance Crews will be cleaning and/or disinfecting the playgrounds a minimum of two (2) times per week; However, to further help limit the risk of disease transmission: 1) The City will limit use of playground equipment to daylight hours only (7 AM to dusk, daily); 2) Will require the wearing of face masks with the exception on children at play; 3) Require that all users maintain a minimum of 6 feet of social distancing from others; and 4) Will encourage park patrons to use disposable disinfectant wipes or other suitable and commercially available/ registered disinfectant products to perform spot cleaning in areas of concern should they so desire. The following playgrounds are open:
- Heman Park
- Fogerty Park
- Millar Park
Golf Course
Ruth Park Golf Course and driving range are now open.The golf course will be open 6:00 am to sunset for walking only. Push carts will be available. Tee times can be reserved by calling 314-727-4800 by Mastercard or Visa only. No cash will be taken. The club house will be closed and restrooms will be located in the main parking lot. Online starting times will be taken but you will still need to call the golf shop for payment. Flagsticks are to remain in at all times and cups have been inverted for easy ball retrieval. Ball washers and drinking water will not be available on the course (coolers or fountains).
Recreation Programs and Events
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the availability of staff, the Summer Day Camp program has been canceled for 2020. The Heman Park Pool will not be opened this summer. Centennial Commons remains closed as well.
Recreation
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the following recreation facilities continue to remain closed until further notice.
- Centennial Commons
- Community Center
- Heman Pool
Dog Park
The dog park is open. No more than 10 people will be allowed in the dog park at one time.
No Yard Waste Stickers Needed
Due to the COVID-19, the City of University City City Hall is closed to the public. With this situation, the City is not requiring the City Yard Waste Sticker on any brown biodegradable bags. When you have your leaves and/or grass clippings in the biodegradable bags, just place them at the front curb on your normal trash/recycling service day. The Public Works Department is not requiring residents to call into schedule yard waste collection. Are your trees shedding their leaves early? You don’t have to wait for the Fall Leaf Collection, just bag your leaves in the biodegradable bags.
Drop Off and Pick Up Hours
Due to the Current COVID -19 Crises, effective March 25, 2020, the Planning & Development Department will only accommodate the drop off and pick up of all permits and applications during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. These measures are being implemented due to the closure of City Hall. All drop off’s and pickups will be located at a temporary station at the former police station east side entrance of City Hall. If you have any questions please contact the Planning & Development Department at 314-505-8500. Applicants should provide a photocopy ID and appropriate authorization documentation with the packet. If you choose to pay by check please include it with your application or if you choose to pay by credit card staff will contact you once the application is entered to collect payment via telephone.
Small Business Assistance Program
The City of University City is pleased to announce a multi-round forgivable Small Business Assistance Program. The program will be implemented in two funding cycles and is intended to help eligible local retail and creative for-profit businesses address cash for short term financial operational needs such as payroll, payment to suppliers, payment to service providers or payment of utilities. This Grant may not be used for capital expenditures or rent. The intent of this program is to provide local businesses relief due to their economic loss during the current COVID-19 Pandemic. CLICK HERE for more information.
The application will be available on this page on Monday, May 4, 2020.
Business Resources
The City has established a COVID-19 Business Resource Page with information for restaurants and other businesses regarding regional and national funding assistance information. The City is also exploring ways to assist on a local level. For more information, contact Clifford Cross, Director of Planning and Economic Development, ccross@ucitymo.org or (314) 505-8516.
Court Sessions
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the University City Municipal Division dockets have been postponed. Notice of your new court date will be mailed to the address on file with the court. The Court office is closed to the public. Updates can be checked on Municourt.net. For further information please visit the Municipal Court page.
UNIVERSITY CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY REOPENS, WITH LIMITATIONS
University City Public Library has reopened its doors to the public, allowing patrons to use computers and browse the Library collection for short periods of time.
UCPL is allowing up to 20 people into the building at a time. All seating, aside from the chairs used at the computers, has been removed from the Library, and patrons are allowed up to one hour in the building at a time. By St. Louis County regulations, all patrons are required to wear masks. If a visitor does not have a mask, UCPL has supplies of masks on offer.
The Library has also instituted temporary limits on computer time, which allows staff members to thoroughly clean the public computers after each use. Patrons can use computers during one session per day, for up to 60 minutes. Session times are listed here:
Monday-Friday
(open 11 a.m.-7 p.m.)Saturday
(open 1-5 p.m.)11 a.m.-noon
12:15-1:15 p.m.
1:30-2:30 p.m.
2:45-3:45 p.m.
4-5 p.m.
5:15-6:15 p.m.
6:30-7 p.m.1-1:45 p.m.
2-3 p.m.
3:15-4:15 p.m.
4:30-5 p.m.
For those that have wifi-enabled devices, the Library’s wireless internet network has been extended, and is now accessible in the parking lot. Printing is available by sending printable attachments to technology@ucitylibrary.org. Curbside service will continue while the building is open. Please call 314-727-3150 when you arrive to let staff prepare your items for curbside delivery.
UCPL staff will not take returns handed to them, as all returned items are quarantined for at least 96 hours. No overdue fines will be accrued during quarantine time. The two outside bookdrops and one inside bookdrop will be available for returns, including DVDs and CDs.
For questions about UCPL's plans going forward, please don't hesitate to contact us at 314-727-3150.
Daily COVID-19 Updates
December 7, 2020
Latest Reports
Last week, the White House Coronavirus Task Force put out a grim report on the state of the pandemic nationwide as well as in Missouri. As outlined by St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page earlier this morning, here are some of the findings and recommendations from that report.
Every county in Missouri has moderate or high levels of community transmission; 91 percent have high levels of transmission, considered red zone counties. St. Louis, St. Charles and Jackson counties combined represent more than one-third of the cases statewide.
The COVID risk to all Americans is at a historic high. The national daily COVID incidence after Memorial Day, but before the summer surge, was fewer than 25,000 new cases a day and is now more than 180,000 new cases a day. COVID inpatients then were fewer than 30,000 but are now more than 90,000. Fatalities have more than doubled. A post-Thanksgiving surge will compromise COVID patient care, as well as medical care overall.
As the White House report stresses, if you are over 65 or have significant health conditions, you should not enter any indoor public spaces where anyone is unmasked due to the immediate risk to your health. You should have groceries and medications delivered. Anyone who gathered beyond their immediate household during the Thanksgiving weekend should assume they became infected and get tested.
If you are under 40, there is a good chance you will not develop symptoms. However, you are dangerous to others. If you are over 65 or have significant medical conditions and you gathered outside of your immediate household, you are at a significant risk for serious COVID infection.
The report highlights that the depth of viral spread across Missouri remains significant. Without public health orders in place compelling Missourians to act differently, the spread will remain unyielding with significant impact on the healthcare system. Mitigation and messaging in Missouri need to be further strengthened as other states have done. Effective practices to decrease transmission in public spaces include requiring masks and limiting indoor capacity in businesses until cases and test positivity decrease to the yellow zone.
The White House report also stresses the importance of getting a flu shot to keep more people healthy and out of the hospitals this winter.
The CDC on Friday provided its latest guidance. The agency stressed that Indoor venues where distancing is not maintained and consistent use of face masks is not possible -- such as restaurant dining -- are particularly high risk. Transmission also can be reduced by promoting working from home as well as reducing the size of gatherings, which St. Louis County currently restricts to 10. The CDC also reported that since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in the U.S. on January 20, 2020, about 13.8 million cases and 272,525 deaths have been reported nationwide.
In St. Louis County, more than 55,000 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19. We have lost 1,098 of our residents to the virus.
With colder weather, more time spent indoors, the holiday season and about 50 percent of transmission coming from those who do not have symptoms, the U.S. has entered a phase of high-level transmission where a multi-pronged approach to implementing all evidence-based public health strategies is essential.
These protocols include:
- Universal face mask use.
- Maintaining physical distance from others and limiting in-person contacts.
- Avoiding nonessential indoor spaces and crowded outdoor spaces.
- Postponing travel.
- Washing your hands frequently and thoroughly.
These actions will provide a bridge to a future where there is wide availability of vaccines. That’s when safe return to more everyday activities will be possible.
Tips on celebrating the holidays safely can be found here, https://stlcorona.com/winter-holiday-tips/. Health orders and other useful information will be posted to www.stlcorona.com here, https://stlcorona.com/dr-pages-messages/public-health-orders/, and Safe Operating Protocols are available here, https://stlcorona.com/dr-pages-messages/covid-19-safe-operating-protocols/.
If I am concerned that I have coronavirus or may have been exposed, what do I do?
Contact the St. Louis County COVID-19 Hotline 24/7 at (314) 615-2660
Where can I get information and updates?
Visit St. Louis County’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage at www.STLcorona.com
Please follow St. Louis County, the County Department of Public Health and the County Executive on social media for updates.
http://twitter.com/SaintLouCo
https://www.facebook.com/stlouisco/
http://twitter.com/StLCountyDOH
https://www.facebook.com/StLCountyDOH
https://www.facebook.com/CountyExecutiveSamPage/
https://twitter.com/drsampage
Where can I get updates about travel?
Coronavirus Disease Information for Travel can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
What resources are available from St. Louis County?
- Guidance for the general public, churches, schools, businesses, and community organizations on how to prevent the spread of germs and diseases.
- Regular updates on COVID-19 from the state and federal government.
- Health education and promotional materials to help promote hand washing, Cover Your Cough, and other community messages.
- Assistance with emergency planning and preparation.
- Literature and information for vulnerable populations.
- St. Louis County clinics can provide medical care to all County residents, regardless of ability to pay. Call (314) 615-0500 if you do not have a doctor.
Business Assistance Information
The COVID-19 Resources for Business provides up-to-date information on support, loans, and grants for restaurants and other businesses.